The grid is in. While the monome remains the standards bearer for hardware with grids of buttons on it, arrays of buttons are suddenly everywhere, in the commercial Akai APC40 and Novation Launchpad, and, from Livid Instruments, the Ohm64 and now the Block. I think it’s a real compliment to the monome’s creators – and […]

CDM contributor and Friend of the Site momo has laid down the gauntlet. Sure, it’s great to talk about Nina Paley’s Creative Commons-licensed animation. But open culture is about making, not just talking. Momo has a venue – a Portland, Oregon gallery, plus The Internet – and challenges all of us to do a visual […]

Showcasing amazing projects is a good thing. But we know that no creation emerges fully-formed. They start from nothing, with lots of mistakes along the way. You get help and ideas from other people. And you need time. So this month’s Handmade Music in Brooklyn we’re declaring an Open Lab. Got a kit lying on […]

OpenCV in action: Fungi by Todd Vanderlin. (CC) Linux can be an ideal operating system for visualists – with a little attention, anyway. Because it’s a free OS, you have a unique amount of control over hardware, and you can easily deploy your setup to any machine – perfect for last-minute computer changes for gigging, […]

Vimeo announced last week that starting August 1st, they will no longer be retaining the original source files for free accounts. Since the very beginning, Vimeo has retained the original video files that you upload, and allowed you to grant people permission to download those files. We always take these original files and convert them […]

Want to reignite interest in DJs who actually use their hands and fingers to slice up and juggle sounds? A cavalcade of “laptopists” is the ticket. Suddenly, at least in some corners, people are again interested in turntablism. It’s nice to see how a controller can integrate digital loop and cue points with a setup […]

  So, you’ve been looking at that Akai APC40. And it’s appealing. It’s got lots of lights and a huge array of buttons for triggering samples or video or what have you, and plenty of knobs and faders. Now the APC40 has some serious “indie” competition, though, in the form of Livid’s Ohm64. Let’s compare: […]

Shamus Young’s “Pixel City” feels like flying in a helicopter into the art from Ghost in the Shell, or discovering a metropolis inside your computer. The latest work from an undiscovered YouTube talent, the software itself will be released under an open source license. I don’t need to tell you this could inspire other experiments […]

MUTEK this year looks to be a tremendous few days of audiovisual performance and art. To get in the mood one day early, we’re working with our friends at New York’s eclectic monthly live electronic party to host a special Montreal edition of Warper. It’s a convergence of New York and Montreal artists (full lineup […]