Category Archives: music

Blurry Sounds

Posted on January 13, 2021 by things magazine

London’s population is shrinking (the population history of London) / the people whose homes are portals to the past / Dublin Goth New Wave Movement from 1989 / Non-children’s songs with child vocals, a list of suggestions / enjoy double … Continue reading →

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Be kind, rewind

Posted on January 11, 2021 by things magazine

Happy Maps don’t have much of a role to play right now, but this project from Good City Life looks to create an ‘alternative cartography of a city weighted for human emotions’. Watch that space / Ranaldo-esque music by Rouse … Continue reading →

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Words and pictures, good and bad

Posted on January 5, 2021 by things magazine

Sound and vision / guitar music by Cancel the Summer; electronic music by Defender Waves; soundscapes by In Die Ferne; The Mind-Benders, a ‘documentary made by the FDA in 1970 about LSD and the hallucinogens,’ with a new soundtrack composed … Continue reading →

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Noise and views

Posted on December 17, 2020 by things magazine

The Year in Sound / the best book covers of 2020 / the best video games of 2020 / a new book, Brutal North / also via K, love this: Private Views: A High-rise Panorama of Manhattan, a project and … Continue reading →

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Hit the buttons

Posted on October 10, 2020 by things magazine

The pandemic is pushing marginal technologies into the mainstream: How vending machines could play an important role in the ex-urban economy. Aside from the listicle-friendly culture of vending machines in Japan, vending machines have long been a low-key mainstay of … Continue reading →

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1000 songs in your pocket

Posted on October 6, 2020 by things magazine

‘The ostensibly frictionless nature of online listening has other hidden or overlooked costs.’ In many respects, streaming music is bad for the planet, says Alex Ross / Apollo 13 Technical Air-To-Ground Voice Transcription (large pdf) / make your own Mini … Continue reading →

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Variables and Constants

Posted on October 5, 2020 by things magazine

Following on from last week’s London Old and New link, 20 ‘Then And Now’ Pics That Show How Time Changes Things / Throwback on a Comeback: The Last Cassette Tape Factory. Time for a visit to the Walkman Archive (e.g. … Continue reading →

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The contours of sound

Posted on October 3, 2020 by things magazine

Two great things come together, the cartographic stylings of Herb Lester and the ravings of Scarfolk Council; the guide to Scarfolk & Environs, a Road & Leisure Map for Uninvited Tourists / a walking guide to the modern houses of … Continue reading →

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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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