1996 peak Microsoft chillwave: if you heard it at all, you only heard it once

Move over, Brian Eno. “Velkommen” by Stan LePard is 90s Microsoft chillwave at its best. But like catching a fleeting glimpse of Brigadoon, for many years this song was heard over Microsoft installations and then lost to time–until passionate fans archived it for the ages. Even if that happened before you were born, you owe it to yourself to experience the supreme calm that only this track can bring.

Stewart Copeland, Spyro the Dragon, and a community effort in sound

Stewart Copeland went from The Police to prolific composer, but perhaps no score was as beloved as Spyro the Dragon for PlayStation. Those sounds have now been revived in community-led, free libraries that run on all sampling platforms, along with some theory and composition lessons. It can instantly improve your mood–and it all began with Stewart playing, dying, and respawning in the game.

Peter Kirn - June 26, 2025

Yamaha’s VL1 launched physical modeling; it’s time to give it its due

What if an instrument revolutionized synthesis, but most folks didn’t notice? That’s the 1993 Yamaha VL1 in a nutshell. Its approach to modeling a range of instrumental vibrations, resonances, reflections, and articulations is deeply connected to instruments today. But most synthesists don’t know about it – apart from a handful of enthusiasts and people who read magazines in the early 90s. So it’s time to sing this unsung legend’s story.

Peter Kirn - June 2, 2025

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