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Record Review: Phantogram
Phantogram Nightlife New York, NY “A percussive and slick urban soundtrack to hopeful nights and starry skies” Nightlife has New York’s duo, Phantogram, back in action. Sarah Barthel’s crooning over...
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Record Review: Tycho
Tycho Dive San Francisco, CA “Beautiful foray into the natural and unnatural” Maybe it’s the beautifully designed cover art of a sun conjoining with a mountainous plateau, but a sincere feeling of...
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MANUFACTURER PROFILE: Teenage Engineering
Innovative Synth Engineering in Sweden What comes to mind when you think of Sweden? Skiing in the Alps? Banks? How about forward-thinking products, masterfully engineered and designed to push your...
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Record Review: Wowser Bowser
Wowser Bowser Wowser Bowser Atlanta, GA “Spunky and vibrant indie pop with instrumental experimentations” Atlanta natives Wowser Bowser have just released their debut full-length, self-titled album....
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Record Review: Daydream Vacation
Daydream Vacation Dare Seize the Fire Seattle, WA (Self-released) “A Femme Fatale of Sensual Synth-Pop” The debut album from Emerald City duo Daydream Vacation, Dare Seize the Fire, is a colorfully...
View ArticleHerbie Hancock Funks You in the Face
Happy Funk Friday y’all! Today’s blast from the funktorious past comes courtesy of Herbie Hancock. In 1973, Double H dropped one of the most funktastic jazz records of all time, Head Hunters. This was...
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MY FAVORITE SYNTH with Erin Barra
Background: Erin Barra is a young, emotive singer/songwriter and performer whose talent belies maturity far beyond her years. Alicia Keys meets Daft Punk, she brilliantly blurs pop, soul, funk,...
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Spotlight on BLACK MOTH SUPER RAINBOW
Tripping Through the Vocoded Forest GENRE: Vocoder Rock HOMETOWN: Pittsburgh, PA ARTISTIC APPROACH: Hyper-processed vocals and hypnotic beats URL: www.BlackMothSuperRainbow.com When a band has been...
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Sun Airway
Soft Fall Philadelphia, PA (Dead Oceans) “Dreamlike escapades driven by samples and synth” Soft Fall is the sophomore effort from the Philadelphia-based band Sun Airway (Jon Barthmus). Once again a...
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Vermona PerFourMer MKii Review & Builder Profile
Vermona is an analogue synthesizer and effect maker based out of Germany; they’ve been turning heads since their emergence in the early 2000s. Vermona was the East German brand that produced electronic...
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Casper Electronics NovaDrone Review
“The Friendly Ghost in the Machine” Casper Electronics is less a company more than it is an ethos encompassing the many ventures of its creator Peter Edwards. Instead of creating a line of many...
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EarthQuaker Devices Bit Commander Guitar Synthesizer Review & Builder Profile
Handmade FX Pedals from Akron, OH The legendary guitar sounds of yesteryear were created by artists and brands that pulled inspiration from every corner of the world. Pioneers like Les Paul weren’t...
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Get to Know Retro Stefson
Have you heard that joke about when Han Solo walks into a bar? Well, Icelandic octet—and avid Star Wars fans—Retro Stefson embodies the scene where Han Solo strolls into the Cantina on Tatooine....
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Tobacco –“Ultima II Massage” Review PLUS Video
“Electro Psych Rock for junkyard dogs in heat” Tobacco’s latest gem, Ultima II Massage, is a disembodied aural experience. It’s like sex with a head cold – grimy, distorted, wet, and rhythmic with a...
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Say Hi “Endless Wonder” Review
“Synthesized indie-pop for the lovelorn” Using emotional sentiments and the art of storytelling to craft an album is not a new concept. However, Seattle-based singer Eric Elbogen (better known as Say...
View ArticleJack Forman Explores the 1980 Moog Source Monophonic Synthesizer
My band Recess Monkey is a Seattle trio known nationally for our unique spin on “family music.” We’ve made eleven albums and played hundreds of shows over the past 9 years. MAKE & MODEL 1980 Moog...
View ArticleHacking MIDI Controllers to Create Drum Machine/Guitar Hybrids
In 2001 I started bringing my Ensoniq EPS sampler keyboard on stage to make freestyle beats. It came about in part because as a DJ and producer, it’s always a challenge to be interesting on stage and...
View ArticleHow To Seamlessly Incorporate Synths & MIDI in Your Next Project
How To Seamlessly Incorporate Synths & MIDI in Your Next Project When some musicians hear the words “synthesizers” and “MIDI,” images of dayglow t-shirts and frizzed out ’80s hairdos flash before...
View ArticleVINYL OF THE MONTH: The Cheebacabra –“Retouched”
VINYL OF THE MONTH The Cheebacabra Retouched Seattle, WA (Self-released) “Infectious grooves: recut, remixed, reworked…” Retouched by The Cheebacabra This time around, The Cheebacabra has enlisted the...
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