Playtronica’s MIDI Turns Vegetables Into Instruments

Berlin-based creative studio Playtronica unveils its newest innovation, a MIDI device that turns “organic materials and mostly anything that has water inside” into instruments. That means tapping onto the skins of fruits, vegetables and even body parts will produce different notes and samples can be swapped in for the standard sounds, too. The kit can be used with up to 16 objects (attached using included …

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Peanut Butter Wolf pays tribute to those we lost in 2016, The Avalanches tease a demo, Dan Deacon delights and more

Peanut Butter Wolf: RIP 2016 On the first day of 2017, Peanut Butter Wolf (aka Chris Manak, the founder of Stones Throw Records) began releasing his RIP 2016 mixtape in parts. Just a few moments ago, Part 3 appeared on Soundcloud and—like the previous mixes—it commemorates well-known and obscure musicians that the world lost last year. The creative, tender mixtape is a genuine tribute to …

Interview: Graham Dunning and the Mechanical Techno Machine

How the experimental sound artist improvises with his self-playing Frankenstein turntable

Multiple layers of modified records rotate on the turntable. Some of the vinyl has been sliced and bent, while others have little nuts and bolts drilled in or are covered in stickers to blank out certain sections. A ring standnormally used to clamp test tubes in laboratoriesholds a few contact mics. The tonearm is precariously held in place, tethered by a string leash. With every …