UJAM open Gorilla Engine to third-party developers UJAM’s latest announcement sees the company ‘open up’ the development platform that has powered their own product catalogue, along with releases from the likes of Avid, Reason, Loopcloud, The Crow Hill Company and others. 

From Pershing Square’s $64 billion bid for UMG to Wireless Festival’s Kanye West cancellation… it’s MBW’s weekly round-upThe biggest headlines from the past seven days...
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Gavin Brivik on scoring Faces of Death, sound design techniques, and collaboration
In this interview, award-winning composer Gavin Brivik discusses his creative process behind composing the score for Faces of Death.

A rare retro synth signed by Bicep is up for auctionA rare MAM Systems MB33 Retro synth signed by electronic duo Bicep is up for grabs in a fundraising auction for Youth Music.
Youth Music is a national charity based in the UK that helps marginalised young people to make and monetise music. It funds grassroots music projects and supports aspiring young creatives. The auction is organised by A Noble Gift, and also features a number of other music-themed items up for grabs as well as experience gifts like spa days.

READ MORE: Loops, leaks and Roger Linn: How Akai’s MPC Sample became the most-hyped gear of 2026

Opening bids for the MAM Systems MB33 Retro start at £250. This analogue monophonic bass synth features all the core sound parameters of the classic Roland TB-303. There is little information out there about MAM Systems, but this 2017 Synth Anatomy article refers to it as “a very little company from Germany”, which developed the synth in partnership with Thomann and Musicstore.
Other goodies up for grabs include a custom-made Dr. Martens jukebox machine, hand crafted by Sound Leisure, which is one of only a small number created for Dr. Martens and was previously housed in one of their high street stores. It even offers Bluetooth connectivity.
Also on sale are two autographed Arctic Monkeys albums (AM and their most recent record, The Car), a print of the iconic ‘Bowie’s Eye’ photograph by Rankin, and an AlphaTheta X ELIJAH Omnis-Duo, a limited-edition all-in-one DJ system featuring a custom skin designed by Elijah, a London-based DJ. It also features his mantra: “If you love music, you should learn how to DJ.”
If you fancy placing a bid on the Bicep-signed MB33, then you can also check out our tutorial on how to sound like Bicep.
To learn more or place a bid, head over to A Noble Gift. You can also find out more about Youth Music.
The post A rare retro synth signed by Bicep is up for auction appeared first on MusicTech.

Elektron responds to acquisition concerns: “It strengthens our ability to realise our plans quicker”On 8 April, Swedish synth creator Elektron was acquired by Bonnier Capital, an investment arm of Swedish family-owned media conglomerate, Bonnier Group. The buyout was touted as “the beginning of a more ambitious journey” for Elektron, according to Alexander Hellström, CEO of Elektron. The immediate reaction online, however, was less optimistic — comments on MusicTech’s social media post of the news saw synth fans concerned about Elektron’s future.
Following MusicTech‘s reporting earlier this week, we reached out to Elektron with questions about the acquisition, what it means for the future of Elektron’s staff and ethos, and whether Elektron fans and customers will see a change to the brand’s beloved product line. The Elektron Team has responded in detail to each question, which you can read in full below.
MusicTech: What was the price of the acquisition? Are you making this publicly available?
Elektron: “We can’t comment on that, unfortunately, which is standard practice for acquisitions of this nature. But we can state that the acquisition took place with Elektron already in a very stable economic position. As such, we have been courted by many prospective parties. This has allowed us to be very careful in choosing the right owner or partner. Bonnier has a long-term commitment to all its investments and is investing from its own balance sheet using its own internal funds for acquisitions, without using loans or debt. We are therefore now in an even stronger financial position.”
MT: Why Bonnier Capital and why now? Was Elektron actively seeking investment, or did Bonnier approach Elektron?
E: “Elektron has been open to and received investment over the last 15 years. Our current CEO joined the company through that process a couple of years ago. The previous investment group, with Jonas Hillman as the main owner, had been leading the company since he took over in 2005. When Bonnier Capital approached us, they stood out through their long-term perspective and genuine understanding of Elektron — not just as a business, but as a company rooted in creativity and music culture.
“As custodians of the Elektron name and legacy, that was the most important factor in our decision. Many of us are Elektron users ourselves, and so that perspective is integral to how we think about the company and its direction. Bonnier Capital becoming majority owners is in many ways a continuation of the previous method, rather than a big change in the ownership process. Jonas Hillman and the management team have reinvested as part of this transition, underlining their continued commitment to Elektron.”
MT: The press release mentions that Elektron’s existing staff will remain — does this mean a commitment to no lay-offs during the transition period?
E: “The transition period is already complete. There are no plans for restructuring or lay-offs. Bonnier’s position is one of a long-term commitment to supporting already exceptional brands and teams, helping them grow and develop over time. Examples are companies such as Acast, Adlibris, and BookBeat.”
MT: Does this change any product roadmaps Elektron had that customers were anticipating?
E: “The acquisition does not change our product roadmap. If anything, it strengthens our ability to realise our plans quicker and more efficiently than we were previously able to. We remain committed to developing exciting new instruments — with some already in the works — and supporting and improving existing machines with fun OS updates and extra features — a core part of our DNA.”
Learn more about Elektron at elektron.se. Read more music tech news. 
The post Elektron responds to acquisition concerns: “It strengthens our ability to realise our plans quicker” appeared first on MusicTech.

Hip-hop figure Afrika Bambaataa has died at 68Founding hip-hop figure Afrika Bambaataa has died aged 68 due to complications from cancer. In the later years of his career, the rapper, DJ, and producer was accused of child sexual abuse and trafficking, which he denied.
Bambaataa, born Lance Taylor, grew up in the Bronx borough of New York City during the black liberation movement. In 1973, he co-founded the Universal Zulu Nation, an international hip‑hop awareness group.
His 1982 hit Planet Rock garnered global recognition and was certified Gold by the RIAA in the US. Across his career, he worked with a number of musicians across varying genres. In 1985, he helped make the anti-apartheid album Sun City along with Run-DMC, The Rolling Stones’ Keith Richards, Bono, Ringo Starr and many others.
As per the BBC, Bambaataa led Universal Zulu Nation until 2016, when he stepped down after allegations of sexual abuse surfaced from the 1980s and 1990s. He denied the accusations, describing them as “baseless”. In 2025, he lost a civil case in which he was accused of child sexual abuse and trafficking after failing to show up in court.
The Hip Hop Alliance shared a statement regarding Bambaataa’s death. It reads, “Today, we acknowledge the transition of a foundational architect of Hip Hop culture, Afrika Bambaataa… His vision transformed the Bronx into the birthplace of a culture that now reaches every corner of the world.”
The statement also acknowledges “that his legacy is complex and has been the subject of serious conversations within our community”, and goes on to conclude: “Today, we extend our condolences to all who were impacted by his life, his work, and his presence… Rest in Power Bam.”
You can read the full statement, posted to Instagram, below:

View this post on Instagram

The post Hip-hop figure Afrika Bambaataa has died at 68 appeared first on MusicTech.

Save 90% on IK Multimedia’s TOTAL Guitar MAX at Plugin Boutique
You can now save 89% on IK Multimedia’s TOTAL Guitar MAX as part of a limited-time deal at Plugin Boutique. It’s been quite a while now since IK Multimedia’s 2025 Group Buy promotion, and I still think about it every time the developer’s name comes up. It’s the closest we’ll ever get to playing a [...]
View post: Save 90% on IK Multimedia’s TOTAL Guitar MAX at Plugin Boutique

Sonuscore releases LUX Orchestral Strings Elements, a FREE library for Kontakt Player
Sonuscore has released LUX Orchestral Strings Elements, a free orchestral strings instrument for the free Kontakt Player. The amount of high-quality orchestral content available for free nowadays is something I still find hard to believe. Even ten years ago, getting your hands on an in-depth orchestral string library without spending serious money was pretty much [...]
View post: Sonuscore releases LUX Orchestral Strings Elements, a FREE library for Kontakt Player

MeldaProduction MLimiterX is 90% OFF for BPB readers (only €10)
MeldaProduction is offering BPB readers an exclusive 90% discount on MLimiterX, its brickwall limiter plugin. Use the coupon code BPBMLX90 at checkout to bring the price down from €99 to just €10. The offer runs until April 19th. MLimiterX is a mastering-grade brickwall limiter built on MeldaProduction’s MDynamics kernel. The whole idea here is to [...]
View post: MeldaProduction MLimiterX is 90% OFF for BPB readers (only €10)

Yamaha launch the DXR/DXS & CXR/CXS Mk3 Yamaha have just refreshed four of their hugely popular PA speaker ranges, delivering significant improvements to their acoustic performance, functionality and power.

Ex-SEC, Coinbase staffer becomes Securitize presidentNewly appointed company president Brett Redfearn briefly worked as Coinbase’s head of capital markets and served for more than three years at the SEC.

ChatGPT finally offers $100/month Pro planOpenAI announced on Thursday something that power users have been asking for: a $100/month plan. Previously subscriptions jumped from $20 to $200 per month.

Upgrading a MacBook Neo Using a 1 TB iPhone NAND FlashThe nekkid Flash footprint with unused pads perimeter. (Credit: dosdude1, YouTube)
For some reason the newly introduced MacBook Neo appears to be the subject of a lot of modding, though a recent mod by [dosdude1] leans into the fact that this laptop has been assembled using what are effectively iPhone 16 parts inside a laptop case. This consequently means that there’s an overlap with certain iPhone 16 components, such as the NAND Flash. Incidentally storage on the Neo is limited to 512 GB when you purchase it from Apple, which is weird since the same SoC in the iPhone 16 Pro happily uses 1 TB.
Even if it was just a price point thing that Apple went for, there’s seemingly nothing standing between a Neo owner with a hot air gun and sheer determination. As long as you’re comfortable soldering a fine-pitched BGA NAND Flash package, natch.
Of course, there was always the possibility that Apple used a different NAND Flash package footprint, but the installed 256 GB model chip that comes installed matches the replacement 1 TB model K8A5 chip as hoped. This just left disassembly and preparing the PCB for a storage replacement. Removal of the BGA underfill and desoldering the old chip without taking out surrounding SMD parts is definitely the hardest part, but handled in the video with the equivalent of an IC spatula and a temporary removal of some capacitors.
Interestingly, the uncovered IC footprint shows a whole perimeter of unused pads that might target other NAND Flash packages. Regardless, the new chip installed fine, giving the Neo 1 TB of storage and a slightly faster read/write performance.

Shy Audio introduce EQT-1M Their latest offering is decidedly less crunchy-sounding than their 90s-inspired releases, and shifts the focus from purposeful ‘character’ to uncompromising audio quality.

Wire Grind BlizzVerb 2BlizzVerb 2 is a high-quality algorithmic reverb plugin. It features an "Acoustic Model" for realistic reverb, and "Artistic Controls" for everything else. Other controls provide for classic sounds, tonal coloration, and reverb-based echo. There are also three freeze modes, most notably a mode that does "freeze and replace" which can be saved. Highlights: Realistic sounding reverberation. Echo Fluttering. Self-refreshing "Freeze and Replace" mode. Auto predelay mode. Virtually seamless parameter changes. Acoustic Model: The "Acoustical Wetness" slider works by rebalancing the acoustic model. It improves realism compared to knobs labels "mix," "dry," and "wet". Frequency damping is modeled on measured acoustical data. Dual stereo models for headphones and speakers. Room Size adjustment. Artistic Controls: Three freeze modes including a new and fully savable "freeze and replace" mode. Echo fluttering: Makes the reverb sound periodic and repetitious. Can also be tempo synced. Tone mode: an alternate mode for hi/lo frequency decay. It provides stronger coloration than default "room" mode. Predelay adjustment with "auto" mode. Can also be tempo synced. Classic Dyr/Wet adjustment for vintage and creative reverb sounds. Other Features: Highly automatable: Parameter adjustments are very smooth. Hyperwidth: Stereo rendering up to 200% (Physics sets a soft limit around 100%). Undo / redo. A / B settings toggle. Factory presets. Read More