Welcome back! It’s been a few weeks since our last internet round up, because — as you may have noticed — we’ve been hard at work giving both Soundfly and Flypaper quite the makeover! And the redesign has inspired our theme for the week: finding new in the old. Below we’ve got all kinds of innovations and ideas for ways to turn the music and instruments we know and love into something brand new. So read on for the best of the innovative musical internet this week!
Jurassic Park‘s 1993 theme song hits #6
LA Times: Despite being one of the most awarded and recognizable theme songs of all time, the original Jurassic Park theme never made a dent on any of the major record charts… until now. Even though the reboot of the franchise was scored by Soundfly-fave Michael Giacchino, John William’s original theme just reached number six on Billboard’s Classical Digital Songs list, 22 years after its release.
Building an instrument out of junk
Youtube: Malian musician Gasper Nali built his own one-man-band set up — a kalindula (a southern African bass guitar) and kick drum — using old tires, wires, and pipe.
What does updating the MP3 really mean?
NPR: Lately, audio fidelity has been at the center of the battle for streaming service supremacy. Jay Z’s Tidal boasts about using uncompressed audio files, where most other services use older, compressed formats including the MP3. But how much of a different does the innovation in file format really make? NPR put together a quiz to test whether you can hear a difference!
A sticker that’s reinventing the guitar
Youtube: Take a look at the ACPAD, a two-millimeter-thick MIDI controller that you — literally — just stick on to any acoustic guitar to turn it into a full-spectrum electric instrument. The company plans to take their sticker to Kickstarter soon, so keep an eye on their site to find out how to get your hands on one!
The Celloridoo
Vimeo: Meet the Celloridoo. Created by Iranian designer Aidin Ardjomandi and winner of Bronze in last year’s A’ Design Awards, the instrument blends a cello and didgeridoo to create an entirely new kind of instrument. (The A’ Design Awards are full of cool musical innovations. Last year’s co-winner MoovBox is an unbelievably versatile pocket synthesizer.)
Remixing the news
The Guardian: Mash-up duo Cassette Boy run a monthly series remixing the news for UK’s The Guardian. Their June edition is, as expected, hilarious.
Bach for synths
Vimeo: In his latest project, Bach to Moog, Craig Leon is arranging and recording some of Bach’s most celebrated works for a Moog modular 55 synthesizer. You can find the video below and many more over at Classic FM.
Soundtrack scandal
The Guardian: A new lawsuit is alleging that Hollywood has been illegally recycling soundtrack elements for the past few years. According to reports, “there was allegedly 1min 10sec of the Titanic score used in This Means War, 33sec of Cast Away featured in Bridesmaids, 35sec of Battle for the Planet of the Apes used in Argo and 2min 23sec of Close Encounters of the Third Kind used in Labor Day, without necessary compensation.”
How to do a mash-up
Youtube: And finally, if you’d like to take a stab at finding something old and making it new again, a mash-up is the perfect place to start. Let this seasoned DJ show you the way…
