Magic is itself a kind of augmented reality, a willing suspension of disbelief as we watch what we know is a blend between what we’re seeing and what we simply think we’re seeing. We know it’s not all physically happening, but the act of seeing it is enough. So it’s fitting that someone would try […]
Music
Clark on friendly parasites and why music needs friction
Music Stories December 27, 2025
“Magic Can Be Fun”: remembering Ken Downie of The Black Dog
Music Stories December 23, 2025
S.A.D. cure mix o’ the day: mx. pinky on Hong Kong Community Radio
Music December 11, 2025
Touch-Free, Gestural Interface, Powered by Electrostatics
3D Computer Interface from Free Flow on Vimeo. During long winters with indoor heat running overtime, I imagine you’ve built up your fair amount of static electricity, and as the sparks fly, wondered why you couldn’t put that power to some good use. Working with electrostatics, a team of students at Northeastern University in Boston […]
Ableton Live 8 Misuse: Ping Pong Psuedo Scratching Effect Video Tutorial
For all the emphasis on learning how to use creative tools the proper way, it’s often when you misuse a feature that it really becomes a powerful tool. So, in the spirit of some of the “mistutorials” from Ableton’s own Dennis DeSantis, here’s our friend Michael Hatsis of New York’s Track Team Audio / Warper […]
Processing Credit Cards on Tour with New iPhone App; PayPal, Other Alternatives?
Selling merch on the road – whether your band has CDs and shirts or you run your own enterprising business in geeky goods as our contributor Liz McLean Knight does – is a big challenge. Buying a full-blown credit card terminal is expensive. That’s why I’m absolutely with Hypebot’s Virgil Dickerson: running credit card numbers […]
A Bike Journey, Reimagined as an Arty 3D Game, with Blender, Processing, Real Bike
lb to sf via bike from vince mckelvie on Vimeo. What will become of 3D gaming engines when in the hands of new digital artists? You’ll get plenty of surprises and unexpected artwork. This is no ordinary California bicycle trip: it’s a trippy, Magical Mystery Tour in 3D, played as a game from a (real) […]
Burial and Four Tet Team Up … On Vinyl Only: “The Black Album,” In Real Life
Let me get this straight. Burial and Four Tet are working together on a record. But there’s … No artwork. No promos. An entirely … black cover? And it’s vinyl only? I’d believe the whole thing were an April Fool’s joke, if the folks at Bleep didn’t put out an email: We was so excited […]
The New Avid: M-Audio, Sibelius, Digidesign Subsumed into Avid Branding?
Avid, the parent company of music product makers Digidesign, M-Audio, and Sibelius, has decided to assert the brand of its mothership more aggressively. As near as I can tell, that means you won’t see the M-Audio, Digidesign, or Sibelius brand names any more – along with video maker Pinnacle. You’ll see, presumably, Avid Pro Tools? […]
Google’s Android Starting to Show Musical Potential, at Last
Google Android platform running on the TMobile G1. Photo (CC) Josh Russell. (Ironically, a Silverlight evangelist for Microsoft!) I’m not exactly doing the Android a great service by talking first about all the applications you can get for the iPhone. But I’m still optimistic about the potential for the Android platform. Because it’s built on […]
iPhone Roundup: Field Recording, DJ Tools, Odd iInstruments, Cinco de Mayo
Now we’re talking: FiRe turns your iPhone into a serious recorder. No, really, a serious recorder – with advanced features and actual mic support. Your pocket is bulging with power. Wait… okay, that sounded really wrong. Anyway, the mobile software revolution continues. There’s so much stuff out there that it can actually be hard to […]




