LA friends and colleagues, we’re thinking of you; fires signal planetary crisis

The home of so many in the music and musical instruments community has been consumed by fire. Friends and colleagues in the Los Angeles area, you’re on our minds this week; I hope you’ve gotten to safety. And we can’t mince words: planetwide, every second of this climate crisis now counts.

Here’s Roger Linn with advice on developing expressive gestures

Roger Linn didn’t just develop the LinnStrument and then check out. He’s provided a steady stream of musical advice both of his own makings and from the device’s user community – all while being a driving force in MIDI Polyphonic Expression (MPE). The latest video is a must-watch addition to that ongoing series.

S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 game is full of Ukrainian music; here’s your guide

Ukrainian games house GSC Game World lost a team member in the front lines and had to face up to Russian disinformation to produce their blockbuster hit game in the middle of a full-scale war. They also packed their game full of Ukrainian music – including electronic music producers. Here’s more on the game, and […]

RIP Dax Pierson, Árni Grétar Jóhannesson aka Futuregrapher

We’re barely into the new year, but already, we’ve got two untimely passings that leave significant holes in the world of electronic music: Dax Pierson and Árni Grétar Jóhannesson.

Maker Monday: DIY your own tracker hardware for around $50-$75

The tracker revival is here. But to make it happen, we need a tracker in every pocket. Don’t worry: you can absolutely recession-proof trackers, even if you’re wedded to using handheld hardware.

Maker Monday: Autodafe put VCV Rack in a Eurorack module, via RasPi

It’s “yo dawg”/Inception time to the max. Not to be outdone by 4ms MetaModule, Autodafe has put all of VCV Rack (specifically its Cardinal fork) into a Eurorack module. Along the way, you’ll learn how to set up Cardinal on Raspberry Pi for any hardware project you might imagine.

Current 2.0 evolved into one of last year’s most compelling synths

Minimal Audio’s Current, more than even most sprawling soft synths, is as much a sound creation laboratory as it is an instrument. Current 2.0 and online updates helped realize their original vision, and it stands out as a highlight of last year – and one to dig in deeper in 2025.

Go watch this video on Buchla, Spectraphon, and spectral animation

Soundhack creator Tom Erbe joins musician-synthesist Sarah Belle Reid for a fascinating dive into the Make Noise Spectraphon, spectral animation, and Buchla history. IYKYK – but if you don’t know, that’s one Hell of a spectral historical West Coast trip.

It’s not too late to get these post-holiday deals on hardware, software

Winter is far from over. Or, erm, summer; I don’t know which hemisphere you’re in. You need to prep for what’s ahead by stocking up on music gear and software now. I am the voice of your Gear/Plugin Acquisition Syndrome, and this is my hand-picked list.

Lists aside, these 2024 albums are personal must-listens

Nothing about this year was normal; next year promises the same. But that’s what music is for – to reframe moments in time.