Remembering dub innovator Lee “Scratch” Perry

We overstate the impact of a lot of musical legends. But then there’s Lee “Scratch” Perry, and overstatement is a challenge.

Playtronica’s Orbita explores sequences on physical, kinetic turntable, launching soon

Inspired by objects like wall clocks and reel-to-reel tape machines, Orbita is a sequencer whose interaction is physical and kinetic, via small discs placed on a turntable. The twist is, it’s not just a design demo – you’ll be able to buy one yourself.

Inside the Reese’s Puffs cereal beatboxes – and yeah, they made real instruments

It must be the future because your cereal box is also an augmented-reality drum machine or synth. We talked to the creative team about the project, plus the full-featured “pro” models.

Dorico, scoring for iPad, already has massive 1.1 update and unlimited players

I had to check the calendar. It’s only been two weeks – and Steinberg has a massive update for Dorico, their powerful scoring tool for iPad.

Go watch techno’s Lisa Smith talk about the power of being Noncompliant

“You have more power than you did then – and you can keep finding your power.” Producer, DJ, writer Noncompliant is featured in a film out this week talking about refusing to comply.

Get more doom harp in your life with this harpist’s distortion pedal reviews

Harpist Emily Hopkins is a runaway harp YouTube sensation – yes, those are still being born. A high point: reviewing “the heaviest distortion pedal I could fine” on not one but two harps.

Unreal Engine 4.27 out now with goodies like Web UI; early-access UE5 MetaSounds makes noise

It was the dawn of the third age of audiovisual creation.* Yes, Unreal keeps adding eye-popping, ear-bursting media powers, both in its stable 4.2x branch and early-access UE5. That makes this free-to-use game engine a must for futuristic artists.

Cassette turntablism is a thing, and you need to watch more tape DJ videos from Japan

DJing was born in hacks, DIY spirit, counterculture – in artists reinventing how machines work. So enough of DJs all using the same machines the same way. Watch what happens when your deck is a deconstructed DIY cassette machine.

Error Instruments’ Loopman is an experimental cassette Walkman instrument

Also from the mad genius of Error Instruments – Loopman is a Walkman-style tape record player-looper, modded for speed manipulation, recording, and CV input.

Lucifer is a dark FM oscillator for drones and drums and evil – Error Instruments does Superbooth

Your Eurorack modular is already mostly evil. But why not go straight to the top – erm, bottom – and bring in the Dark One himself, with Lucifer?