Category Archives: music

Sounds, bracketed by despair

Posted on September 16, 2020 by things magazine

Our delusional obsession with splendid isolation / High Score, a video game sound generator (via Sonic State) / related, the Arcade Machine, one of several fun looking pedals from RPS Effects / sort of related, a collection of imaginary software … Continue reading →

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Maps and Music

Posted on September 3, 2020 by things magazine

Maps. Sounds of the Forest from around the world (via Kottke, via Moss and Fog) / see also the Nature Sound Map / contrast with Sounds of New York City (SONYC) / the London Sound Survey is a rich archive, … Continue reading →

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Sound flowers

Posted on August 21, 2020 by things magazine

A couple of fun things from musicradar; Circle Guitar, a robotic arpeggiator by Anthony Dickens (we think); 1000 oscillator drone synth by Look Mum No Computer; Love Hultén’s micro-sized Meccano MMXS synth, ‘a tribute to Martin Molin and a miniature … Continue reading →

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Up and down

Posted on August 18, 2020 by things magazine

Some sounds, starting with neo psych from The Sun’s Evil Twin. Especially strong Spacemen vibes here: Psychedelic Revolution / drones and more at Relay Tapes / music by Chipped Tooth / contemporary shoegaze from Nossienes and bdrmm / epic soundtracks … Continue reading →

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Shaping sounds

Posted on August 12, 2020 by things magazine

The origins of the Netflix ‘sound’. Related, how Brian Eno composed the Windows 95 sound; the man behind the Intel ‘bongs’, the composer Walter Werzowa; the Contentious Tale of the McDonald’s “I’m Lovin’ It” Jingle; the THX ‘Deep Note’, composed … Continue reading →

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Scribbles and side-chains

Posted on August 7, 2020 by things magazine

Cave Things is a little bit Shrigley-esque in its conception and execution / This Cryptid World, cartography of the cultural imagination / swimming pools from above, photographed by Brad Walls / buy a house in the Cité Frugès de Pessac … Continue reading →

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Plinky plonk

Posted on July 28, 2020 by things magazine

A playable Grand Piano made out of Lego / some new style takeaway food packaging / playing with the internet’s most reviled synthesizer / out with the 3D chrome effect; car brands are returning to flat logos / A MAZE. … Continue reading →

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In the mix

Posted on July 15, 2020 by things magazine

The Concrete House, one of Connell, Ward and Lucas’s quiet masterpieces / twenty years of the Wallpaper* architects’ directory / 100 years that changed Houston; ‘Just add an overwhelmingly oppressive humidity and you’ve got the place.’ (thanks, David) / welcome … Continue reading →

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Infuriatingly idiosyncratic

Posted on June 27, 2020 by things magazine

A film about Carmine Street Guitars (via The Guardian) / music by Danish band Tales of Murder and Dust / recommendations via We Love Lo-Fi / more via American Pancake / Twist Spin Tuck Jump (at K) / beautifully painted … Continue reading →

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Sounds to catch up

Posted on June 4, 2020 by things magazine

A collection of audio installations by Zimoun (via the TRACE archives) / music by Spare Planet / music by Airships on the Water / music by Unwed Sailor / undefinable pop from Jessica Genius / dreamy guitar pop by Winter … Continue reading →

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Ups and downs

Posted on May 26, 2020 by things magazine

The City of the Future versus The Mountain of the Future. We fear that the latter might be a more common direction in the future / AskMe offers up a selection of contemporary small presses / some guitary things. James’ … Continue reading →

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Neural Milk Hotel, etc.

Posted on May 5, 2020 by things magazine

‘Jukebox, a neural net that generates music, including rudimentary singing, as raw audio in a variety of genres and artist styles.’ Best explored through this Waxy post, OpenAI’s Jukebox Opens the Pandora’s Box of AI-Generated Music (via (Kottke): ‘The Jukebox … Continue reading →

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Furious Loops

Posted on April 28, 2020 by things magazine

Myth and Monolith, the story of the vast concrete Nine Elms Cold Store, written by Andrew Rogers for Vauxhall History. The piece delves into the building’s alleged satanic past, and includes mention of people like Pinkie Maclure and the late … Continue reading →

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Lost and found melodies (did we skip day 10?)

Posted on April 3, 2020 by things magazine

“This melody, which was played at some point on a real horn—well, maybe it was real; who knows?—has now passed through radio waves and magnetic tape and digital memory, into the mind of a brilliant arranger and back out into … Continue reading →

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Not enough to keep you occupied for more than half an hour

Posted on March 15, 2020 by things magazine

The Case of the Missing Hit, already hailed as a legendary podcast episode (via tmn, amongst other places) / the ten most sampled basslines / a reddit for isolated vocals / Mi.Mu Gloves, as created by Imogen Heap. Explainer / … Continue reading →

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Letters of note

Posted on February 19, 2020 by things magazine

This Chinese Factory Makes $100,000 Architectural Models / see also the models of Made by Mistake printing money, visualising spending / here’s where some of that money went: an underground missile complex on 14.73 acres of land, yours for $495,000 … Continue reading →

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Unintended consequences

Posted on November 18, 2019 by things magazine

Open Memory Box offers the ‘biggest digitized collection of home movies from the GDR’, a dreamlike collection of silent 8mm films of a completely vanished world (thanks to TT for the tip) / Are compostable bags really compostable?, an ongoing … Continue reading →

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Activation

Posted on October 23, 2019 by things magazine

The real David Attenborough, a lengthy profile of the 93-year old film-maker and (sometimes) reluctant activist. To follow that up, Kottke always does good science and natural history: Watch Scavengers Devour a Fallen Whale Carcass on the Sea Floor; John … Continue reading →

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Outside the envelope

Posted on October 5, 2019 by things magazine

Behind You, a tumblr of original animated, spooky art / sort of related, Dungeon Synth (via MeFi) / Ste Holmes illustration / see also the Synth Evolution Poster / illustrations by Anna Isabella Schmidt / Barbican Winter, Stefi Orazi, at

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End of the week

Posted on September 27, 2019 by things magazine

Illustrations, including paper art by Aurely Cerise / old, but probably still pertinent: Uber knows when your phone is about to run out of battery and prices accordingly / more colour-us-surprised tech news: The ‘Smart Kitchen’ Is Very Stupid / … Continue reading →

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