Category: Uncategorized

When it comes to secret communication, the general rule of thumb remains that lower-fi = better. Even today, dead-drops and frequency channels & codes remain the standard for getting data and information across long distances. The standard of encryption and anonymity is simply unparalleled when distributed across a physical medium as opposed to a virtual… Continue reading The Numbers Station

Peter Buck of R.E.M once called them “a Rosetta Stone for a whole generation of musicians.” Gaining a strong cult following after their commercially unsuccessful three year run in the early 1970s, Big Star is now regarded by musicians as one of the most influential bands of all time, and also one of the unluckiest.… Continue reading Big Star: A Not-So-#1 Record

Auto-Tune’s presence is throughout music – with every genre containing artists that use it. Auto-Tune is very well-known for its prominence in hip-hop, though it is not limited to that genre alone. Developed in 1997 by Andy Hildebrand, Auto-Tune is a pitch correction software that shifts vocal recordings to the correct key. Despite being used… Continue reading Auto-Tune’s History and Presence

Postmodern Jukebox created in 2011, by Scott Bradlee a New York City Pianist with an idea of how to “remake the pop hits of today into the classic sounds of the legends of yesterday” (Postmodern Jukebox). Bradlee envisioned a way for songs from todays top artists being reimagined in a “Frank Sinatra” format that would… Continue reading Postmodern Jukebox…”Todays Hits Yesterday!”

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly has one of the most iconic movie soundtracks of all time, with an extremely memorable theme song. The theme song has become such a huge part of pop culture that it has become almost synonymous with cowboys. The soundtrack was scored by Ennio Morricone, who was an Italian… Continue reading The Iconic Music From ‘The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly’

Today I want to talk about one of my favorite movies of all time, “No Country for Old Men,” (2007) directed by the Coen brothers. “No Country for Old Men” is a masterclass in sound editing… but not for the reasons you think. Unlike almost every movie in modern Hollywood, “No Country for Old Men”… Continue reading Lack of music adding tension to film: A case study of ‘No Country for Old Men’

If you’ve spent any time surfing Youtube in recent months, you’ve most likely come across 8D audio clips. We’ve heard of manipulating audio in 2-dimensions, 3-dimensions, and even 4-dimensions but an 8-dimensional audio track seems like a completely fabricated concept. Tracks which have been altered to 8D are often characterized by their ability to create… Continue reading 8D Audio

Over the past two and half months—despite a slurry of personal engagements, deadlines, and responsibilities—I’ve listened to seven audiobooks. And throughout this journey, the one thing I continue to ask myself is: Why? Have I discovered an overwhelming love for literature and storytelling? No, not really. Do I live by some incredulous belief that reading… Continue reading SOS, I’m running out of content

When it comes to standard audio recording, we rarely think of the medium that sound travels through, air. However, when we want to record something underwater, the material that the sound needs to travel through is suddenly much more important than if you were just doing a usual recording. Enter the hydrophone, which is basically… Continue reading The Sound of Water

Consider mixes a strange hallway point between being a radio DJ and a club or party DJ, just without the need for any of the expensive equipment. Now, you can share long-form compilations of all the music you like online with just a DAW and your computer. These mixes are a lot like the tapes… Continue reading Mixes: A Free and Democratic Way of Sharing MUsic