Devious Pocket: standalone, simple digital vinyl from any turntable

Skip the laptops and loads of proprietary hardware with an ultra-simple, portable, affordable add-on that turns any turntable into a digital vinyl turntable. That’s the pitch from NAP Works for crowdfunded, compact hardware built on open-source tech. It might do more than just impress digital vinyl DJs: this has the potential to win over even the CDJ crowd.

Synth Days in Kyiv: inside the wartime Ukrainian modular scene

The prolific Kaximia of Tembra Modular and the series “Let’s explore modular synthesis” transports us to a Synth Days holiday weekend event in Kyiv. Let’s welcome her CDM writing debut, as she gives us a window into a Ukrainian modular scene that’s thriving, despite everything.

In the sound of Wukir Suryadi’s kentongan, a world warning

From Indonesia to the planet, Wukir Suryadi sends a distress call in insistent strikes against his hand-built kentongan instrument. If you want an answer to what music we should be making in this moment, perhaps what you need is Titir — a warning.

Peter Kirn - March 25, 2026