10 Great Funk Albums That Were Completely Ignored When They Came OutDiscover 10 overlooked funk albums that deserve a second listen, from deep funk and psychedelic soul to Afro-funk and P-Funk gems.

Soulwax Shines in HollywoodSince 1995, Belgian sibling duo Soulwax, aka Stephen and David Dewaele, have been redefining what it means to be an electronic music group. While they also perform celebrated DJ sets as 2manydjs, the genre-defying, experimental project known as Soulwax has made an art of confounding expectations and defying genre-rules since they came into being in '95 with the 2nd Handsome Blues EP. The debut Leave the Story Untold album followed in '96, and they never looked back.

At Hollywood's Fonda Theatre on a warm evening in September, Soulwax performed two sets on consecutive nights, and we were there for the first. The first thing that jumped out was the elaborate set-up; the stage looked like a scene from Star Trek--a mass of giant boards with huge knobs and dials.

The next thing you couldn't help but notice was the trio of drummers suspended above them, which serves to beef up the sound while proving aesthetically spectacular.

Soulwax didn't perform anything from the first two albums, but we did get four tracks form 2004's beloved Any Minute Now, including "E Talking," and a manic "I Love Techno." "Do You Want to Get Into Trouble?" from 2017's From Deewee was a set highlight, though the pair leaned heavily on material from last year's All Systems are Lying.

The crowd, a mix of old ravers and young, curious electro-heads, lapped it all up. Because, honestly, there really is nothing like a Soulwax show.

The post Soulwax Shines in Hollywood first appeared on Music Connection Magazine.

Pretend you’re sitting at Elizabeth Holmes’ desk on this weirdly detailed websiteWith over a thousand emails, slides, texts, and documents from the United States v. Elizabeth Holmes trial, Extend engineer Bo Lau created a website that simulates what it might have been like to rifle through the Theranos founder's desk.

Sfoor Labs SL TymraSL Tymra combines sampled instruments with a second synth layer. Its 448 sounds cover keys, bass, pads, leads and organs. Play a preset as it is or blend the two layers and edit the sound: Nine synthesis models alongside sampled sounds. Mono, Legato and Glide for connected leads. Filter, amplitude and modulation controls. Delay, Space and Chorus. Local AI Match searches the included sound bank for a starting point. The Mac edition includes VST3, Audio Unit and standalone formats for Apple Silicon. The iPhone and iPad edition is a separate App Store purchase with standalone and AUv3 support. Hear the sounds and view product details or view the iPhone and iPad edition. Read More

The 80s Called: They Say This DIY Phone Is, Like, Totally RadLike more than a few of us , [Kevin Noki] is sick of being pulled out of flow state by that annoyingly addictive black rectangle we all carry around. His solution was to build a phone to escape his phone, in a YouTube video we embedded down below. We’d say that phone is straight out of the 1980s, except it’s not quite a phone. It would perhaps be more accurate to say he’s building a Bluetooth handset– actual telephony remains the province of a professional device with regulatory approval, because getting custom hardware on VoLTE is a nonstarter in many places.
He starts out using an ESP32, because he already had one and why not? It’s got bluetooth, after all. Alas, audio quality he was getting through it was a little too crunchy, so he pivoted to use a dedicated Hands Free Profile (HFP) bluetooth module that is purpose built for exactly this kind of application. He’s selling the design on his website, but given how much detail he shows on screen, recreating your own version would be easy enough to save the quid. You’d be missing out on the STL for the fantastic 80s brick he’s made, which may be the most interesting part of the build to us.
We’d likely have jumped right to CAD and printed out a few iterations of the case until we were happy, but [Kevin] takes a more traditional industrial-design approach, mocking up the phone with XPS foam and a manually-operated hot wire cutter. It’s not a step we see makers take very often, but it pays off here– at least for subtracting material, it’s a very quick way to iterate, and he only needs to do one 3D print for the final version. We also like very high-tech acrylic bending jig, which he uses to put some black LED acrylic over the display.
It’s a lot of work to make you less-likely to grab a phone you still need anyway– remember, there’s no cellular modem in this– but, hey, it beats torturing yourself, or worse, a tamagotchi.

Securitize stock jumps over 10% after launching tokenized US equities on SolanaSecuritize’s new offering gives eligible investors access to tokenized shares of 12 US companies, with dividend and voting rights and plans for round-the-clock trading.

Suno hires Ticketmaster’s Michael Chua to lead its live music team, including SongkickIn the role, Chua will lead the AI music company's live music operations, which include concert discovery platform Songkick.
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How Deezer is Approaching AI Music And PaymentsThis week, Ari welcomes Patrick Laird, cellist and half of the acclaimed instrumental pair Brooklyn Duo.

ADAM Audio introduce the Sub8 PRO & Sub10 PRO ADAM Audio have just introduced two new DSP-equipped subwoofers, and a new ADAM Control software platform that will replace their existing a Control management tool. 

ADAM Audio reveals Sub8 PRO and Sub10 PRO, designed for precise low-ends in the studioFancy adding a little extra oomph to your low-ends? ADAM Audio has cooked up a pair of subwoofers specifically designed with precise low-frequency performance in mind. The Sub8 PRO and Sub10 PRO serve as a way of extending your low-ends, with the added bonus of network-based control and DSP-powered room optimisation.
Along with their respective 8-inch and 10-inch subwoofers, both the Sub8 PRO and Sub10 PRO are constructed with fibre-reinforced paper cones mounted with rubber surrounds. Paired with the DSP optimisation, the subwoofers’ Class D PWM amplification (200W RMS) should guarantee consistent performance across frequency and SPL ranges. As a result, you can expect a precise, controlled bass reproduction from 26 Hz (Sub8 PRO) and 21 Hz (Sub10 PRO) to 300 Hz.

READ MORE: Teenage Engineering to stop making synths – but what does it mean for the future of the cult brand?

As for the bass ports, even those have been optimised to create more consistent air speeds along their lengths. Again, it’s another move to assure a consistent performance. And all the nifty low-end tech is all wrapped up in solid wooden cabinets, with protective metal grilles.

Both the Sub8 PRO and Sub10 PRO can be easily integrated into your monitoring setup. The pair include AES3 connectivity for audio at up to 24-bit/96 kHz, as well as an XLR/TRS combination socket for analog audio.
There’s also a specific LFE Mode, which provides a cutoff specifically for Dolby Atmos systems, while Wide Mode opens the doors for the subwoofers to operate across their full available range.
However, the most significant development comes in the form of ADAM Control, ADAM Audio’s new network-based Ethernet management system. It serves as a way of calibrating tech to suit your setup, monitoring EQ, gain, phase, and delay settings across the Sub PRO line, whether you’re using it in a stereo or multichannel system.

ADAM Control also has the benefit of working with the company’s A Series monitors. A video explaining the new system also teases that it will work with all future network devices, hinting that the company has more plans to expand its network-based monitoring range in future.
In terms of cost, the Sub8 PRO costs £829,99, while the slightly bigger Sub10 PRO sits at £1,129.99.
For more information, head to ADAM Audio.
The post ADAM Audio reveals Sub8 PRO and Sub10 PRO, designed for precise low-ends in the studio appeared first on MusicTech.

Teenage Engineering to stop making synths – but what does it mean for the future of the cult brand?Turns out making synths was just a phase… because Teenage Engineering is moving on. That’s right, in spite of the success of its synths, like the best-selling OP-1, the Stockholm-based tech company is cutting ties with its most beloved export.
Teenage Engineering’s founder, Jesper Kouthoofd, dropped the shocking bombshell in a new interview with Highsnobiety. While synths have arguably put the company on the map, Kouthoofd believes that Teenage Engineering has far more to offer than synthesisers. In his opinion, his company is best when its experimenting and pushing boundaries. Continuing to focus on synths is limiting the company’s potential – so he’s ceasing synth production immediately to explore new avenues.
“Everyone was like, ‘What are you talking about?’” he says. “But I’ve come to the conclusion that, for us, the products aren’t the business. We can be so much more than that.”

READ MORE: Is too much gear a bad thing? Hazel Mills says “option paralysis is very real” – and it could be killing your creativity

It’s a bold shift, just over 20 years from the company’s 2005 founding. In that time, the company has released a slew of non-synth products that hint at their experimental nature – like their quirky collection of MIDI-compatible, wooden A Capella choir dolls. Looking forward, Kouthoofd is keen to work on more product that flirt with the obscure.“Often, when a product may not be reasonable or probably won’t be profitable, it’s good to just put it out there, see what happens,” he believes.
The founder’s mindset combines the creative nature of his Dutch architect father and his Swedish banker of a mother. “I grew up watching him draw and her doing big business,” he explains. “Honestly, I see myself as the perfect 50/50 combination of my parents.”
A member of Teenage Engineering’s design team, Yi-ying Hsieh, also shines further light on Kouthoofd’s approach: “Teenage Engineering is Jesper doing what he wants to do. But we’re all okay with that because we want to contribute to what he wants to do.”
And, looking at some of Teenage Engineering’s most loyal customers, it seems like they are happy to follow the company down just about any avenue moving forward. Swedish alt-popstar Lykke Li even praises the company in Highsnobiety’s article, noting that “Teenage Engineering is a point of view more than anything, and that’s what I resonate with the most.”
Over on Reddit, the reactions are mixed. Some users are dubious over Kouthoofd mentioning that some of the company’s new supposedly ‘life-changing’ projects “won’t be released for five to 10 years” at least. “So help me god if this is some AI bullshit…” one user writes.
Another Redditor hopes that the company plans to open-source its firmware, if any new synths are truly off the table from now on. “That would allow the community to continue improving, maintaining, and expanding the capabilities of these devices long after the company moves on to other projects,” the user writes. “It would also show appreciation for the loyal users who have supported their products over the years.”
One user in particular praises the decision, noting that it is a “good idea” for the company on the whole. “They really developed their design language in the synth/groovebox/audio market and the human interface part too… when I look at the products and hardware, they are ‘done’ design wise…” the user writes.”There is nothing to add or subtract any more, if you ask me. Goes for innovation too.”
“I think creatively they have come to what reasonably can be seen as the endpoint of exploration and goes into exploitation,” the commenter adds. “And I get it that they don’t want to be stuck there.”
The post Teenage Engineering to stop making synths – but what does it mean for the future of the cult brand? appeared first on MusicTech.

UVI Prisma is FREE at Loot Audio for a limited time
Loot Audio is offering UVI Prisma, a sample-based instrument for macOS and Windows, for free again after the first batch of giveaway codes ran out quickly. The offer is exclusive to Loot Audio, and the restock gives anyone who missed it another chance. Thanks to Bobay for sharing the original offer in our October Deals [...]
View post: UVI Prisma is FREE at Loot Audio for a limited time

The DMNO ON from UDO Audio The DMNO ON employs the same eight-voice, two-part multitimbral engine found in the keyboard version, and can be kitted out with additional hands-on control sections thanks to some optional expander units. 

Bassliner MIDI bassline generator is only €19 for BPB readers
Dreeemwave has brought back its exclusive BPB reader discount on Bassliner, a MIDI bassline generator for macOS and Windows. Use the coupon BPB25 at checkout to get Bassliner for €19, down from the regular €24. The code from our June offer is active again, so there’s another chance to grab it if you missed it [...]
View post: Bassliner MIDI bassline generator is only €19 for BPB readers

Haircut One Hundred Rolls Back the Years in LAHaircut One Hundred is an interesting band. You hear that very-eighties name and, if you're yet to be initiated, your mind immediate goes to the glorious but undeniable silliness of the likes of Kajagoogoo. But then, anyone already ordained into the cult of Nick Heyward should no better. A keen student and fan of post-punk/art-rock collectives like XTC and the Talking Heads, Heyward has been a pop star and teen heartthrob for portions of his life, but he's also a very serious muso type.

The story of Haircut One Hundred is actually relatively short, despite stretching across multiple decades. There was only one album, 1982's Pelican West, before Heyward left to go solo. The rest of the chaps gamely attempted to soldier on, releasing the critically ignored Paint and Paint in '84. The recent reunion has yielded a new album, Boxing the Compass, which dropped in the summer.

Unsurprisingly, they don't play anything from Paint and Paint now that Heyward is back in the ranks. But the beloved debut and the new effort were both well represented at the Teragram Ballroom in Los Angeles.

They opened with new newies: "Someone" and "The Vanishing Point," before pulling out "Nobody's Fool." The set is a solid reminder of this band's jazz and world music influences; there's a undeniably funky groove to Haircut One Hundred that, even at the majority of the audience's vintage age, is impossibly danceable.

The hits were all present and correct. "Love Plus One" and "Fantastic Day" brought the venue to life, though predictably the highlight was the genre-classic "Favourite Shirts (Boy Meets Girl."

It's been so long, but it's great to have Haircut One Hundred back.

The post Haircut One Hundred Rolls Back the Years in LA first appeared on Music Connection Magazine.