Sri Lanka – ශ්‍රී ලංකාව – benefit compilation in eerie, delicate drones and ambient sounds

The famines born of corruption continue, planetwide. It’s hard to find words sometimes, but the latest release of artists banded together on Syrphe find both words and sounds for expression, in an international compilation dedicated to Sri Lanka.

MVMNTS: Vibrating, shuddering sounds from Hiro Kone x Roxy Farman benefit Pakistan relief

Welded sheet metal and springs have a contact-mic dialog with modular synths in a chillingly brilliant EP by Hiro Kone and Roxy Farman (Wetware). All proceeds benefit Pakistan relief, and today is Bandcamp Friday.

Join Afrorack and tour the Swiss Museum & Center for Electronic Music Instruments – from home!

It’s Afrorack gone Swiss! Afrorack aka Brian Bamanya has a fantastic video sweeping through the world’s largest synth collection. And there are more ways to experience this collection for yourself, from home or, if you’re lucky, in Fribourg first-hand.

Erica LXR-02 drum machine update: finally, autosave, plus new Hrtl kits

Erica Synths’ LXR-02 drum synth, made in collaboration with Sonic Potions, gets one very important missing feature – autosave. And we’ve got some new kits and patterns, too, from our friend Hrtl.

Massive Roland TR-8S + TR-6S updates: new FM models, probability, editor refresh

Roland’s TR-8S and the pint-sized repackage TR-6S just keep getting better. The latest update expands on the TR’s unique FM sound set and adds probability and step looping, with an updated software editor to match.

Arturia Dist COLDFIRE review: a red-hot coloration, overdrive, distortion multi-effect

Distortion? Already interested. But Dist COLDFIRE goes further, even compared to other recent tools with dual-distortion and modulation. Deep inside, you get a multi-effects toybox with tools for a range of coloration.

Here’s a DIY plate reverb, hacked out of IKEA parts for under $100

Can’t afford a pricey plate reverb? Use some IKEA shelving and piezos and get something that sounds amazingly good in this simple DIY tutorial. Best of all – you can do it for under $100 in parts, and it’s not a complex build.

Mouth Play is a vocal tract filter for Ableton Live with loads of extras, by Dillon Bastan

From the prolific, inventive Max for Live developer Dillon Bastan comes a new instrument that can shape, sing, roar, breathe, drone, glitch, and more. Use one of its internal sound source or external input.

How the Open Music Lab creates safe space for refugees, marginalized artists [Hacklab Inputs]

This is an easy one to relate to: you want space to be creative, to grow in your practice, and to express emotions We got to hear from a volunteer-led effort that makes that kind of space, for refugees and for people who have often lacked access.

Chantlings, an app where animated forest creatures sing along with you, is a marvel of design

Just when you think software has lost its wonder, you’re singing into your iPhone with some cute animated blobs. Chantlings is a joy – and a demonstration of how even existing vocal technologies can be employed in fanciful new ways.