CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, USA: following hot on the heels of the recently-introduced Revolution 6×6, Black Lion Audio is proud to augment its truly high-end, portable recording interface line-up with the 192 kHz sample rate-supporting Revolution EXP — representing revolutionary expansion professionally packaged in a road-worthy, rack-mountable metal enclosure encompassing 16 analogue TRS connections alongside 16 channels of ADAT I/O, boutique component selection, plus proprietary MACRO-MMC clocking ensuring that every connected device sounds its absolute best — as of October 31…
Any ADAT-compatible recording interface can be effectively expanded by adding more inputs and outputs with Revolution EXP; connect the two devices using four TOSLINK fiber optic cables in pairs, providing (up to) 16 channels of (16-bit/44.1 kHz- to 24-bit/48 kHz-quality) ADAT I/O. In the case of Revolution EXP, its connections are labelled ADAT – S/MUX, meaning four channels of audio I/O at 24-bit/96 kHz or two channels of audio I/O at 24-bit/192 kHz are alternatively possible over each pair of cables. Connectivity continues courtesy of Revolution EXP’s 16 analogue TRS connections in an eight-input — IN 1 through to IN 8 (each with a -10dBv pad for managing hotter signals) — and eight-output — OUT 1 through to OUT 8 — configuration.
It is fair to say, then, that expanded I/O allows anyone to take their production workflow to exciting new places production-wise and also location-wise. With Revolution EXP it is possible to add hardware compressors, stereo reverbs, or, indeed, any other external hardware processor to DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) workflow — capture multi-channel recordings of hardware synths or drum machines; connect pre-amps to the eight analogue inputs to record multi-channel drums; use the eight outputs to connect Revolution EXP to an analogue summing mixer, using two inputs as a stereo return; or use those eight outputs to connect a multi-speaker array and mix in Dolby Atmos, for instance. Whatever way anyone chooses to use those connections, expanding studio connectivity clearly comes naturally to Revolution EXP, as reflected in its appropriate appellation.
But Black Lion Audio being Black Lion Audio, there is more to Revolution EXP than might meet the eye at first glance, however — not least its proprietary MACRO-MMC clocking technology. Being based on Black Lion Audio’s numerous clocking products and interface modifications, MACRO-MMC’s extraordinarily low jitter ensures extraordinary clarity and sheen in the high-end, so operates beyond merely keeping all connected devices in sync, but also ensures that every connected device sounds its absolute best, bolstered by boutique components from Vishay, Nichicon, and Wima that, themselves, ensure maximum signal quality and low-noise. Needless to say, Revolution EXP supports sample rates up to 192 kHz, so can comfortably be used as the primary word clock device driving entire studios or synchronized itself to an external clocking device — hence its WORD CLOCK IN-labelled BNC connector.
Clearly, Revolution EXP’s bright, eight-stage metering dominating its no-nonsense front panel ensures that accurate, at-a-glance checks of every input and output are always an easy-on-the-eye experience. Its road-worthy, rack-mountable metal enclosure ensures everything incorporated into the distinctive design has a long life, lengthened further still by future firmware updates delivered via the dedicated FIRMWARE UPDATE ONLY USB-C connection. Indeed, it truly represents revolutionary expansion living up to its notable name.
Revolution EXP should start shipping through Black Lion Audio’s growing global network of dealers/distributors (https://www.blacklionaudio.com/dealers) with a MAP (Minimum Advertised Price) of $799.00 USD and an SSP (Suggested Selling Price) of €1,065.00 EUR (including VAT) towards the end of November 2023.
For more in-depth info, please visit the dedicated Revolution EXP webpage here: https://www.blacklionaudio.com/store/interfaces/revolution-exp/
About Black Lion Audio (www.blacklionaudio.com)
Founded in 2006, Black Lion Audio is a boutique audio company based in Chicago. Collectively it takes pride in providing customers with outstanding quality gear for their recording studios at prices that are ridiculously affordable. As such, the company has built a reputation for supplying superior quality sound in a cost-effective manner within the space of a few short years. Yet, given the current economic climate, it is no wonder that major labels, project studios, software companies, and high-profile tracking and mix engineers make up a significant portion of the company’s client base. Indeed, its work can be heard in award-winning major motion picture scores and soundtracks, major television shows and commercials, as well as being utilized by prestigious organizations and major label acts alike.
© 2023 Black Lion Audio
A TOOLKIT OF CINEMA-FUELLED INSTRUMENTS FOR MODERN SCORING
Novella Origin is a multi-instrument library of contemporary cinematic sounds for stories about people and music that feels human.
Made up of an expressive 9-piece string section with true legato, a folk-inspired alto choir, an understated electric guitar, a cotton-draped upright piano, a soul-filled analogue synth, and an orchestral-influenced drum kit.
A one-stop library for your next film score where the characters are flawed, and the drama is real. And a perfect companion if you’re a songwriter or producer looking for a beautiful, film-inspired soundtrack to your next album.
HEADLINE FEATURES
Type of instrument – Strings, Choir, Electric Guitar, Piano, Synth, Drums
Download size – 38.7GB download
Download method – Pulse downloader
Kontakt – Kontakt PLAYER 6.6.1 or above
Release date – 1st November 2023
Website – https://www.westwoodinstruments.com/instruments/novella-origin
Price – $349 / €349 / £299
Launch Price – $209 / €209 / £179 – Save 40%
Launch Ends – Midnight 20th November 2023
—
ABOUT WESTWOOD
Alternative sounds for alternative composers
We make virtual instruments for film composers and music makers who want to sound different.
Westwood started from an idea that writing music when you’re in front of a screen would be much better if samples and virtual instruments weren’t stripped of all signs of life. We know that what makes music feel human and alive is not always being exactly in tune or in time. It’s the flaws that often make music sound most beautiful. For this reason our mission is the pursuit of progress not perfection. We craft unique digital instruments that are inspiring to use and put you in a creative headspace.
LOS ANGELES, CA, USA: after an early access soft launch, inspiring, unique, and filler-free music tools creator Wide Blue Sound is proud to announce availability of SILENCER to the wider paying public — reimagining reverb as a first-of-a-kind plug-in that effectively supercharges already-owned reverb plug-ins to take sound design and mixes to the next level by being anchored around a patent-pending process called TimeGate that completely resets the reverb signal on each note (silencing undesirable reverb that would otherwise sustain over multiple notes and accumulate frequencies that clutter clarity and intelligibility of all instruments, vocals, and mixes as a whole) while also drawing upon several new effects developed to enhance and clean up the resulting sound still further, as well as allowing users to continue designing their own personal reverb sounds, subsequently saving an entire chain as a preset and acting as a reverb management tool in the process — as of October 28…
Simply said, SILENCER represents reverb where it is wanted — as opposed to where it is not needed. Needless to say, SILENCER’s signature is its TimeGate slot, handily hosting any user’s favorite reverb plug-ins and re-triggering them using a uniquely efficient CPU (Central Processing Unit) process — patent-pending, no less — that clears the buffer and starts a brand-new reverb for each audio transient. The resultant overall sound has 100% clarity, thanks in no small part to the reverb following each transient sounding so pristine
since it starts over on the new note. Notable benefits include punchier-sounding drums — add space around them without muddying up the transients; clarity-enhanced leads, chords, and vocals — free from the counterproductive reverb overflow of previous pitches; vintage sample-sounding beats — adding loads of reverb that restarts on each note can sound like there is reverb in the sample itself, all the while keeping everything flexible; and eliminating phase issues on bass/kick reverbs without removing all the low end. Even though all such examples work well with conventional reverb sounds, users are also encouraged to use SILENCER to design the most dirty, cinematic, or otherworldly reverbs imaginable for themselves, then use re-triggering to turn it into a polished but surreal mix — and all with unparalleled levels of control. It is also possible to trigger reverbs via MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) notes, the audio transients of a sidechain signal, or manually perform/automate it via the TRIG (trigger) button. It is fair to say that users have to hear TimeGate to believe it, while re-triggering reverb is optional of course.
Signature sound-crafting comes quickly to SILENCER users, thanks to three proprietary modules often using the incoming dry signal to control various effects on the wet signal: STRIP easily enables adding massive WEIGHT and beautiful AIR by utilizing a legendary BBE Sonic Maximiser algorithm that makes reverbs sound epic, while its GATE can quickly add groove to reverbs (using the dry signal for detection) to give them a punchier sound, and SPREAD pans the dry and wet signals in opposite directions, creating a magical 3D effect used on radio hits to carve out room in the center of the mix while still adding dimension; secondly, FOCUS EQ enables users to easily enhance the important frequencies of any instrument by cutting the reverb and optionally boosting the dry signal at the same critical frequency; and, thirdly, SIDECHAIN compresses the reverb based on the dry signal (with SILENCER taking care of the routing), RELEASE doing several things to provide different tones, while a filter assists users with fine-tuning the detection circuit (by telling SILENCER which frequencies to listen to from the dry signal). It is worth noting here that SILENCER users can add their favorite VST (Virtual Studio Technology) effect plug-ins to its Plugin Manager for speedy access; as such, these only affect the wet reverb signal.
SILENCER supercharges already-owned reverb plug-ins still further by allowing users to save their favorite reverb set-ups in one place — regardless of plug-ins used — and quickly audition them. Therefore, SILENCER effectively acts as a great reverb management tool. To further ease sound experimentation, enabling Reverb Lock lets users ensure that their chosen reverb plug-in does not change as they audition presets — only SILENCER’s effects modules are swapped in the process of doing so.
Says Wide Blue Sound Founder & CEO Nathan Rightnour by way of further background, but also ending on some serious — and not-so-serious — SILENCER-summarizing high notes: “We adore reverb; it’s our favorite effect. From day one, however, we were clear about one thing: we didn’t want to push another reverb algorithm into the market. Reverb takes a long time to get right, evidenced by the fact that the finest reverb-makers specialize in only doing that. We’re music producers first, and if we could continue using all our favorite reverbs, we’d rather do that. SILENCER is future-proof and will work with your current and future reverb plug-ins. It’s the best of all reverb worlds. We like to joke that the last reverb you’ll ever need isn’t a reverb at all!”
SILENCER is available to purchase — priced at $99.00 USD (with a no-nonsense 14-day money-back guarantee) — directly from the Wide Blue Sound website, which also includes more in-depth info, here: https://www.widebluesound.com/silencer/ (Anyone wishing to test their reverb plug-ins before committing themselves to purchasing SILENCER can download a time-unlimited demo version — with occasional gentle white noise and no recall/presets functionality — for free.)
SILENCER supports macOS 10.13 High Sierra (and above) — it is optimized for Apple Silicon — and Windows Vista (and above); its CPU and RAM (Random Access Memory) usage is minimal, while such usage is up to the user when employed as a plug-in host. However, it is worth noting here that though SILENCER itself runs in all modern plug-in formats, such as AAX, AU, and VST3, it is currently capable of only loading VST3 plug-ins — for stability and UX (User Experience) reasons, meaning users must have the VST3 version of a plug-in installed in order for SILENCER to load it; in this regard, the silver lining is that since SILENCER can run VST3 in any DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) — including Apple Logic Pro and Avid Pro Tools — it can act as a VST3 bridge for any type of plug-in… simply load any plug-in into the TimeGate slot and voila! (Wide Blue Sound is keen to stress that it is testing a mode that allows SILENCER users to host AUs instead of VST3s, but this is being scrutinized for stability and up to standard UX.)
Watch Wide Blue Sound’s official walkthrough video here:
About Wide Blue Sound (www.widebluesound.com)
Wide Blue Sound operates on the ideology that music tools should be fun, inspiring, and absolutely filler-free. Founded in 2015 by producer Nathan Rightnour and composer Jeff Rona, it launched with ORBIT, an aptly-named novel and high-end music software synthesizer for video game composers and producers. Praised by publications worldwide for making “a remarkable splash on the scene,” its creators quickly became a force to be reckoned with for film and television composition, record production, and video game music as ORBIT and its ECLIPSE followup were lauded both for their bold, no-nonsense approach to synth design and ability to create stunning cinematic pulses and atmospheric textures.2020 saw the company ramping up in its development with the release of its motion-evolving ELYSIUM — an inspiring KONTAKT plug-in instrument instantiated as a two-layer synth for creating music infused with tonal rhythms, movement, and unrivalled playability, as well as bringing onboard several development teams to release more of Nathan’s original UX (User Experience) design-led software for music producers and composers that are now seeing the light of day, duly living up to his well-meaning motto: Inspiration you can hear. Made with love in California.
© 2023 Wide Blue Sound LLC
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, USA: Black Lion Audio is proud to announce (upcoming) availability of Revolution 6×6 as a truly high-end, portable recording interface — introduced into its ever-expanding product lineup as an all-purpose studio dynamo that can act as a master clock, standalone DAC (Digital-to-Analogue Converter), headphone amp, and, as implied by name, a six-input/six-output class-compliant USB interface with audio quality worthy of taking the respected Revolution nomenclature, itself introduced in 2021 when the Revolution 2×2 model made musical waves as the boutique audio company’s inaugural entry into the hotly contested bus-powered, portable audio interface market — as of October 11…
As a class-compliant, bus-powered USB audio interface with industry-leading signal quality, Black Lion Audio has put everything it has learned about interfaces from years of boutique modding into Revolution 6×6. Indeed, it is ‘modded out of the box’ — as the boutique audio company in question is keen on saying — so crystal-clear audio that will musically move both users and listeners alike is a given. Get this, though: there is some seriously rarefied tech going on under its hood, including Macro-MMC (Master Music Clock) based on Black Lion Audio’s hallowed history of creating dedicated master word clocks, as well as modifying many embedded clocks found in other recording interfaces; it not only ensures the best possible performance from Revolution 6×6’s converters, but also allows for external gear connectivity via WORD CLOCK INPUT and OUTPUT on BNC for maximum sync and ultra-low jitter — albeit any devices synced via Macro-MMC are communicating as accurately as possible to minimise the phase distortions that can muddy the high-end and negatively affect transients. The upshot of this technology is reduced jitter and enhanced harmonics for a glossy, airy top-end that would otherwise remain unheard in lesser interfaces.
Proprietary PG-1 filtering technology that is based on Black Lion Audio’s experience in engineering ‘best-in-class’ power conditioners is deployed on
Revolution 6×6, while it also features highly-filtered power rails in every active stage — something that is not even found in the most well-respected, high-end equipment. All are working in perfect harmony with full-circuit power decoupling across the entire circuit — convertors, internal power, preamps, and even the clock itself — to further reduce noise contamination.
Capture and playback are optimized, too, thanks to Revolution 6×6 sporting the most cutting-edge ICs (Integrated Circuits) alongside high-end Vishay, Nichicon, and Wima capacitors throughout, with all internal gain-staging also optimized for the best possible signal-to-noise ratio. All analogue I/O is fully decoupled and balanced — right to the very core of the convertor! Simply said, Black Lion Audio’s finest A/D (Analogue-to-Digital) and D/A (Digital-to-Analogue) technology implemented in Revolution 6×6 provides its users with record-making power, the likes of which has hitherto been unavailable in such a small, portable, and affordable interface.
Indeed, the recording revolution continues with Revolution 6×6 packing a lot of easily accessible bang for the buck into its diminutive dimensions — think two front panel-positioned high-headroom mic preamps (CHANNEL 1 and CHANNEL 2) with instrument input alongside an eight-segment VU LEVEL meter for real-time monitoring; main output (MONITOR) gain knob; direct input/mono summing (MONO HP); INPUT/PLAYBACK mix knob for real-time performance monitoring; and HP1 and HP2 high-fidelity headphone amplifier connections, while connectivity continues on the rear panel with decoupled main analogue outputs (RIGHT and LEFT MONITOR OUT) for superior monitoring quality; world-class WORD CLOCK; high-end S/PDIF INPUT and OUTPUT with embedded clock signal; USB OTG (On-The-Go) for two-input, two-output connectivity with Android and Apple mobile devices — perfect for livestreamers and mobile musicians who record to or stream from phones and tablets; and low-latency USB TO COMPUTER with bus power (also allowing two USB devices to be simultaneously connected to Revolution 6×6 and send audio to/from either).
It is well worth mentioning here, then, that not every task necessarily needs a computer, which is why Revolution 6×6’s DAC, word clock, and D/A conversion features can all be used without a computer; clearly it is simply a case of pressing the button marked STAND-ALONE (HOLD TO ENGAGE) — hook up a media player via S/PDIF to enjoy good old-fashioned hi-fi listening with good ‘new-fashioned’ hi-fi conversion, or connect Revolution 2×2 to a computer over USB to bypass questionable laptop converters, for example.
And as if all that was not enough to whet anyone’s recording appetite, all the tools they need to start creating are bundled with Revolution 6×6 as the Revolution Software Suite, starting with Presonus’ award-winning Studio One Artist recording and sequencing DAW (Digital Audio Workstation), with selected plug-ins from Izotope — Elements Suite (comprising Nectar, Neutron, Ozone, and RX for tone-shaping, mastering, and repair); Psychic Modulation — EchoMelt3 (BPM-based modulation and echo); Brainworx Audio — bx-digital (mid-side EQ with filter and de-ess options); and Lindell Audio — 6X500 (colourful preamp model with two-band EQ).
Either way, it is apparent that Black Lion Audio’s Revolution 6×6 is, indeed, a truly high-end, portable recording interface, one which is irrefutably worthy of taking that respected Revolution nomenclature to even higher heights!
Revolution 6×6 should start shipping through Black Lion Audio’s growing global network of dealers/distributors (https://www.blacklionaudio.com/dealers) with a MAP (Minimum Advertised Price) of $549.00 USD and an SSP (Suggested Selling Price) of €699.00 EUR (including VAT) towards the end of October 2023.
For more in-depth info, please visit the Revolution 6×6 dedicated webpage here: https://www.blacklionaudio.com/store/products/interfaces/revolution6x6/
About Black Lion Audio (www.blacklionaudio.com)
Founded in 2006, Black Lion Audio is a boutique audio company based in Chicago. Collectively it takes pride in providing customers with outstanding quality gear for their recording studios at prices that are ridiculously affordable. As such, the company has built a reputation for supplying superior quality sound in a cost-effective manner within the space of a few short years. Yet, given the current economic climate, it is no wonder that major labels, project studios, software companies, and high-profile tracking and mix engineers make up a significant portion of the company’s client base. Indeed, its work can be heard in award-winning major motion picture scores and soundtracks, major television shows and commercials, as well as being utilised by prestigious organizations and major label acts alike.
© 2023 Black Lion Audio
Use the code PRAISETRACKS-20 for an extra 20% off
In the world of music production, there’s nothing quite like the timeless allure of the ’70s. It’s an era celebrated for its distinctive drum sound, and now, you can bring that iconic vibe to your music with LEGEND.
Step into the studio of ’70s icons who pioneered the dry drum sound. LEGEND is your gateway to that punchy, warm, and retro feel that cuts through mixes. Whether you’re crafting varnished beats or raw jams, LEGEND is the tool that empowers your creativity.
Nostalgia is the key to standing out in the music scene, whether you’re an indie rockstar or a retro mastermind. LEGEND’s naturalistic impact is touching, and you can feel it in every beat you produce. Engineers of the past refined their rhythm sections with close mics on deadened drum heads and dampening techniques. LEGEND faithfully emulates these classic tactical strategies.
Virtual Drummer LEGEND contains the following features:
Clean, tight drums are the gold standard for experimental production. With LEGEND’s upfront, direct recorded sounds, you have the canvas to absorb additional processing and make them entirely your own.
Virtual Drummer LEGEND is available now in VST2, VST3, AU 2 and AAX formats today and also as a free fully functional 30-day trial at ujam.com. Don’t miss this opportunity to add the magic of the ’70s to your productions.
It also runs natively on Apple Silicon systems.
Virtual Drummer LEGEND is now available at ujam.com for 69 EUR / USD Intro Price and 49 EUR / USD Loyalty Price. The Bundle is available for 369 EUR / USD, including all seven Drummer titles (SOLID, HEAVY, PHAT, DEEP, BRUTE, HOT, LEGEND). Virtual Drummer is currently available in VST 3, VST 2, AU 2 and AAX formats for all major DAWs.
UJAM is a German-American maker of music technology co-founded by Hans Zimmer and Pharrell Williams that develops Virtual Instrument and Effects Plug-ins. With the Plug-in series Virtual Pianist, Usynth, Groovemate, Symphonic Elements, Virtual Guitarist, Virtual Bassist, Virtual Drummer, Beatmaker and Finisher UJAM helps people to make music.
MADRID, SPAIN: European pro audio manufacturer Heritage Audio is proud to announce availability of its robustly-built R.A.M. 1000 professional monitor controller — combining several features from its notable namesake series siblings positioned higher up the range with modern-day studio environment essentials like Bluetooth reception to create the perfect solution for self-recording musicians and mid-sized studios, duly delivering everything needed to provide control over what is being heard right at any user’s fingertips in a small desktop unit that can handle several sources simultaneously, and all at an affordable price point that should surely prove attractive to more modest studio owners — as of October 20…
Because Bluetooth has basically become a studio standard worldwide within the last few years, implementing it in R.A.M. 1000 was an easy call for Heritage Audio to make when designing its latest professional monitor controller in an attractive and convenient desktop unit that can handle several sources simultaneously as the perfect solution for self-recording musicians and mid-sized studios. Indeed, it includes all the latest CODEC (Compression/Decompression) — APTX®, APTX LL®, AAC, APTX HD®, and SBC — options to ensure the highest-quality transmission possible at all times. There is even an option to switch the routing from OUTPUT 1 to whatever soundcard/audio interface is connected to R.A.M. 1000 for recording — really makes it easy to plug in an instrument to rehearse along to a mix, then simply route it to a recording device at the push of a button!
Overall operation of R.A.M. 1000’s input and output options — offering two pairs of +4 dBu balanced analogue inputs (with one also being -10 dBV selectable) and two stereo outputs available on both balanced XLR and ¼” connections — are, likewise, intuitive, with three topside-positioned INPUT buttons selectable to the left and two OUTPUT buttons to the right; a large but beautiful Marconi-type MASTER LEVEL knob — itself being a 64-step, gold-plated relay ladder attenuation affair (providing an exceptional resolution of 64 dB in 3 dB steps) usually only found on high-end, large-format consoles — is positioned dead centre, effectively ensuring that control is always exactly what is needed. Needless to say, two INPUT LEVEL LEDs displaying total input for the left and right audio channels are perfectly positioned top centre, so users always have them in sight, while much-needed MONO, MUTE, and DIM (-20 dB drop) buttons keep those options easily within reach, too. The always-welcomed inclusion of a high-quality HEADPHONES input is reassuringly present for those times when making a critical listening decision can only be achieved with what headphone monitoring offers. It is well worth noting here that R.A.M. 1000 employs a very high current drive in a diamond buffer configuration that is able to drive all headphones to very high levels without any colouration or noise.
It is fair to say, then, that Heritage Audio’s newest addition to its critically-acclaimed family of monitor controllers could not be easier to navigate, keeping things simple so as to not get in the way of creativity — all at an affordable price point that should surely prove attractive to more modest studio owners, as should the robustly-built, full-featured R.A.M. 1000 design itself. By blending classic RAF-grey cosmetics with that standout red-coloured Marconi-type MASTER LEVEL knob, R.A.M. 1000 is guaranteed to add a touch of class to any studio — more modest or otherwise!
R.A.M. 1000 is shipping and available via Heritage Audio’s growing global network of dealers (https://heritageaudio.com/where-to-buy-international/) with an SSP (Standalone Selling Price) of €499.00 EUR (including VAT) in the EU, respectively and a MAP (Minimum Advertised Price) of $499.00 USD, US distribution being handled via RAD Distribution (https://raddist.com/en/brands/heritage-audio).
For more in-depth information, please visit the dedicated R.A.M. 1000 webpage here: https://heritageaudio.com/ram-1000/
About Heritage Audio (www.heritageaudio.com)
Heritage Audio was founded in 2011 by Peter Rodriguez. As a civil engineer and music producer, he went from building wind turbines to following his true passion — developing recording equipment with the vintage sound that he himself admired so much and so many others yearned for. Fortunately for all, he was able to master the key elements necessary to make high-quality recording gear affordable and reliable by combining his analytical mindset with his experience as a producer within a relatively short space of time. Today, the 15-person team has expanded its production plant located in the heart of Madrid, Spain, where it collectively continues to follow a philosophy of making vintage sound possible for today’s studios, successfully introducing innovative products to rank amongst the most popular brands with top retailers throughout the world.
© 2023 Heritage Audio
NEW YORK, October 24, 2023 – Heavyocity Media announces the release of GRAVITY 2. After nearly eight years, Heavyocity has unveiled an inspiring evolution of the legendary scoring toolkit, breathing new life into the world of music and sound. This visionary collection reveals a palette that combines conventional orchestration and advanced digital synthesis with innovative audio processing, unlocking entirely new sonic realms for musical storytelling. In the world of sound, even legends must evolve.
This intricate array comprises over 1,000 distinct sound sources, amounting to more than 2,300 samples expertly crafted by the Heavyocity team. From junkyard mayhem and mechanical noises to bowed strings on trash cans, obscure radio signals, and a vast array of analog synths—GRAVITY 2 blurs the line between music and sound design. Equipped with Heavyocity’s most powerful engine to date, GRAVITY 2 delivers over 9 GB of dynamic sound design elements waiting to be explored. Ranging from tonal Rhythmic Pedals to thrilling Transitions and Risers, evocative Textures to explosive Impacts and striking signature Stings, not to mention more than 600 meticulously-crafted, instantly-inspiring snapshot presets for effortless cue creation. With just a few clicks, composers will have the flexibility to go in bold, innovative directions with their compositions.
“With GRAVITY 2 we aimed to elevate what we created with the original GRAVITY to new and exciting heights, pushing the boundaries of what sound design is capable of in today’s modern scores” said Dave Fraser, Co-Founder, Heavyocity. “GRAVITY 2 exceeds all expectations because it isn’t merely a scoring toolkit; it’s a sonic transformation where the possibilities are limitless, and musical expression has a fresh, creative reawakening.”
For a limited time, Heavyocity is offering GRAVITY 2 for $349 (reg. $449). In addition, owners of GRAVITY 1 or any GRAVITY Pack will get an additional $50 off with serial. Offers end November 3, 2023.
As a “powered-by-Kontakt” instrument GRAVITY offers all playback and sound-shaping functionality through the full version of Kontakt 7 or the free Kontakt 7 Player.
PRICING AND AVAILABILITY
GRAVITY 2 will be available at www.heavyocity.com/gravity-2
GRAVITY 2 – $449 USD
Limited-Time GRAVITY 2 Offer – $349 USD
Limited-Time GRAVITY 2 Offer for GRAVITY 1 or any GRAVITY Pack owner – $299 USD
ABOUT HEAVYOCITY MEDIA
Heavyocity Media is a developer of award-winning virtual instruments and effects for computer-based music production, composition, and sound design. Heavyocity’s critically-acclaimed products push the boundaries of creativity, providing new and unique tools for professional composers and producers.
REMAGEN, GERMANY: having initially introduced its Iridium concept as a high-class synthesizer in a compact desktop form factor with welcomed added extras building upon the German developer’s demanding design standards set by the then-flagship Quantum keyboard’s futuristic functionality and advanced tonality to the wider world with widespread critical acclaim back in 2020 (followed by its semi-weighted polyphonic aftertouch pressure-providing Iridium Keyboard counterpart coming online in 2022), Waldorf Music is proud to introduce Iridium Core — genuinely getting right to the heart of its Iridium synthesizer product line as a small form factor variant featuring the full Iridium synth engine (itself implemented as the deepest available in a hardware instrument while being super-intuitive in use), this time providing 12-voice polyphony (including all the two layer setups) while retaining patch compatibility with all other Iridium variants, as well as Quantum and Quantum MK2 — as of October 10…
While weighing in at a comfortably carriable 2.2 kg, Iridium Core’s attractive all-metal enclosure merely measures 346 mm (W) x 200 mm (D) x 64 mm (H), making for a rugged road-ready creative companion that fits into laptop-sized bags and carry-on baggage while leaving enough space also to accommodate other devices for performance purposes. Put it this way: it is clearly worthy of its small form factor Iridium variant product description.
Duly providing 12-voice polyphony, Iridium Core features the full (MPE-compatible) Iridium synth engine, encompassing three oscillators — OSC 1, OSC 2, and OSC 3 — with five synthesis models — Wavetable (consisting of all the classics, as well as new tables of single-cycle waveforms), Multi-Sample & Granular (based on the simple idea that instead of playing back an entire sample, only short portions of the sample — so-called grains — are played), Waveform (standard oscillator model to create typical analogue synthesizer waveforms with cool features like morphing, hard-sync, and detuned unison), Resonator (creates sounds by using an initial exciter signal — mostly a short noise impulse or sample — that goes through a bandpass filter bank, where its resonating filters finally produce a ringing sine-like sound), and Kernel (effectively enabling one oscillator to become up to six sub-oscillators that can be interlinked through FM at audio rate and arranged in user-definable constellations) — that can be combined and mixed in two-layer setups together with dual digital FILTERS plus a digital FORMER section with various modes like Bit Crusher and Comb filters; furthermore, the 40-slot MOD (modulation) matrix — with five LFOS (Low-Frequency Oscillators), five ENVELOPES, and Komplex Modulator (defined as a complex LFO with two different curves that can be mixed together) — and an EFFECTS section (with five effects per layer that can be arranged in various parallel and serial topologies), as well as useful utilities like an Audio recorder, spectrum Analyzer and oscilloscope, and microtonal editor all see to it that the synth engine involved is the deepest available in a hardware instrument.
Iridium Core centrally features the same (1024 x 600) touch screen shared by its Iridium Desktop and Iridium Keyboard synthesizer siblings, with its encoders at the sides and the main encoder below — an intuitive and easy-to-use UI (User Interface) which, when operated in combination with the top row buttons, also allows all sound parameters and pages to be reached quickly and easily. Enabling the exploration of a huge sonic universe of electronic sound in a way that helps keep creativity flowing is at the core of Iridium Core’s design ethos. It impressively includes over 1,700 factory presets and samples from an array of sound designers, driving anyone’s sonic wanderlust with much inspirational fuel for their musical endeavors. Equally, it shares the pad matrix — used to call up freely-programmable notes, chords, sequences, and arpeggios — found on Iridium Desktop, albeit in a reduced 2 x 4 arrangement accommodating its smaller form factor, while sharing six freely-programmable MACRO buttons — with which users can define functions from a wide range of features for additional performance control — with its Iridium Keyboard counterpart. As a unique design element, however, Iridium Core features four user-definable potentiometers that can be used on a patch or global basis (as well as additionally being able to be used as modulation sources). Speaking of which, Iridium Core is patch compatible with all other Iridium variants, as well as Quantum and Quantum MK2, and, as another member of the Waldorf Synthesis Platform OS (Operating System) — the common platform for all Iridium and Quantum variants — will, likewise, benefit from all future firmware updates.
Ultimately, Iridium Core connects smoothly with computers, controller keyboards, drum machines, modular synths, sequencers, and more to integrate into various live performance and studio setup scenarios. Situated on its rear are MIDI In and Out connections on TRS Mini Jacks adhering to Type A standard, while Iridium Core comes complete with two DIN MIDI adaptors. Additionally, there are also two precision CV (Control Voltage) inputs — In 1 and In 2 — alongside Eurorack-compatible CLOCK In and Out connections. Connectivity continues with the same I/O included on Iridium Core’s Iridium Desktop and Iridium Keyboard synthesizer siblings — namely, stereo AUDIO In, AUDIO Out, and a headphone output with Volume potentiometer, as well as USB Computer and Controller ports for MIDI and storage, MicroSD Card slot, and DC In 12V / 3A (external) power.
Proudly ending on a high note, Waldorf Music CTO Rolf Wöhrmann puts Iridium Core — genuinely getting right to the heart of its Iridium synthesizer product line — into its rightful perspective: “Many performing musicians have asked us for a more compact and portable form factor for the incredible Iridium sound engine to pack into their travel bags or allow already densely-packed studio environments to more easily accommodate another hardware instrument. Inspired by their feedback, we came up with the Iridium Core concept, and are very proud of the finished result. Indeed, it’s a thing of beauty, ready to be taken anywhere, and we can’t wait to hear all the music made with Iridium Core!”
Iridium Core is available through Waldorf Music’s growing global network of distributors (https://waldorfmusic.com/distributors/) at an introductory promo price of €1,849.00 EUR (including German tax) for four weeks — rising thereafter to an SRP (Suggested Retail Price) of €1,941.00 EUR (including German tax) — and also directly from Waldorf Music’s Online Shop here: https://waldorfmusic.com/shop-english/
For more in-depth info, including some superb-sounding demos, please visit the dedicated Iridium Core webpage here: https://waldorfmusic.com/iridium-core
Watch Waldorf Music’s must-see Iridium Core teaser video here:
Watch Munich-based modular ambient and electronica artist Panic Girl getting up close and personal with Iridium Core here:
Watch Berlin-based electronic musician JakoJako integrating Iridium Core with her modular setup here:
Watch Waldorf Music’s stunning sound demo for its Iridium product line, including Iridium Core, here:
About Waldorf Music (www.waldorfmusic.com)
The well-known Waldorf Music marque has been synonymous with high-quality synthesizers for over 30 years; indeed, its innovative position in the electronic musical instruments marketplace dates back to 1989 with the release of the wavetable synthesis-based Microwave, an amazing ‘reincarnation’ of the legendary PPG Wave series — arguably amongst the most coveted high-end synthesizers of the early Eighties — that was instrumental in providing some called-for counterbalance to the dominance of Japanese and American designs. While Waldorf continued this unique technology tradition with successive synthesizer releases ranging from the mighty Wave — perhaps the most impressive, expressive, and user-friendly sound synthesis tool ever built — to raising the bar for VA (Virtual Analogue) synthesizers with the introduction of the popular Q series from 1999 onwards, the new millennium saw the trailblazing company making a timely move into the brave new world of music software with the release of its first VST Instrument, PPG Wave 2.V, a tradition it continues to this day with more recent software releases including its Nave advanced wavetable synthesizer. Subsequent successes in the high-quality hardware arena include the Blofeld synthesizer — forging sound and design into an unbeatable price/performance ratio in both desktop and keyboard versions — and Zarenbourg, a contemporary electric piano par excellence, as well as the cost-conscious Rocket (synthesizer), 2-Pole (analog filter), and Streichfett (string synthesizer) desktop modules. Meanwhile, Waldorf broadened its appeal further by introducing Nave to transform any iPad into an advanced wavetable synthesizer. Fast-forwarding to today sees the high-quality synthesizer manufacturer musically returning to its roots with M, bringing back classic Microwave and ‘modern’ Microwave II tone generation as a new-generation classic hybrid wavetable synthesizer complimenting a slew of contemporary high-quality synthesizers taking the well-known name into the hands-on musical masses — whether working with its (flagship) Quantum high-class hybrid or (polyphonic aftertouch pressure-providing) Iridium digital synthesizer keyboards, (FPGA-based) Kyra and Iridium digital desktop synthesizers, or other hardware (including a welcomed move into the ever-expanding Eurorack modular synth system format) or software (including iOS).
© 2023 Waldorf Music GmbH
UVI release Falcon 3 and 2 new expansions; Modular Noise, and Organic Pads – available now with special offers, free update for existing users
Paris, October 19th, 2023 – UVI release Falcon 3.0, a significant update to their flagship hybrid instrument, featuring new oscillators including VOSIM, a tribute to vintage vocal synthesis, Bowed String, a bow and string simulator, and Harmonic Resonator, a multi-layer exciter feeding 6 tunable resonators; new effects including Opal, a physically-modeled optical compressor, Ladder, a classic East Coast filter, Dispersor, a unique transient shaper, and Harmonic Resonator, a tunable resonator bank; new performance scripts including Node Arp, Motion Grid, and Snowflakes; new workflow features including Workspaces, allowing you to effortlessly move between customized UI arrangements, MIDI Out, enabling control over external software and hardware instruments and effects with Falcon’s rich library of scripts and sequencers, improved MPE support, Program Templates, helping users jumpstart the creative process with numerous starting points, a new Startup Screen that helps you quickly launch recent projects and program templates, and a completely refactored factory library of 1500+ presets with improved macros and all-new UIs.
Falcon 3 is a free update to all existing users and SonicPass subscribers, available immediately through the UVI Portal desktop app.
In addition, UVI have released 2 new Falcon expansions; Modular Noise, and Organic Pads. Modular Noise delivers 100 presets created from complex noise samples created on a hardware eurorack system, featuring charactered, hardware-inspired Bass, Arps, Sequences, Drums and more. Organic Pads extends the ‘Organic’ expansion series with 100 presets exploring evolving, sustained sounds in categories including Light, Dark, Mystical, and Nature, each featuring performable XY control over 4 discrete sources (sample, synthesis, noise, and texture).
Falcon represents the pinnacle of hybrid instrument design, with unlimited use and layering of oscillators, effects, modulators, and event processors. Falcon offers native 64-bit operation in standalone and plug-in formats, supports surround setups up to 10.2 channels, is compatible with all UVI and UVI-Powered soundbanks, and provides simultaneous authorization on up to 3 computers or iLok keys.
To mark the occasion, UVI are offering two special promotions:
New Falcon licenses also include a $100 | 100€ voucher good towards any soundware purchase.
Both promotions are available immediately on uvi.net, valid through November 5th, 2023.
Additional information on Falcon 3 is available at:
Pre-Order: October 16th, 2023, 5pm BST
Release: October 26th, 2023, 5pm BST
The acclaimed release of Eric Whitacre Choir from Spitfire Audio five years ago captured the breathtaking range of the most emotive musical instrument – the human voice. Advance to today, and Spitfire Audio releases Eric Whitacre Contrast – a sample library that surpasses the sonic boundaries of traditional choral performance, pushing the human voice to powerful new extremes.
Curated by GRAMMY® Award-winning composer and conductor Eric Whitacre, Eric Whitacre Contrast features all-new performances from 19 world-class singers, captured in AIR Studios, offering 245 contemporary techniques made with remarkable clarity and precision.
Also presented in standard mode and Spitfire Audio’s Evo Grid for instant inspiration, these emotive textures are pushed to breathtaking new extremes in the eDNA synth engine, which enables recombining of these techniques to create inspiring new sounds – while also featuring bespoke presets from three special guest sound artists.
A living, breathing machine of sonic metamorphosis with limitless creative sound design possibilities, for any genre of music, available as a standalone library or as an addition to Eric Whitacre Choir and other Spitfire Audio sample libraries.
“What I love about Contrast is that it feels alive, just letting it evolve under your fingers…it offers this cinematic emotional palette that is different to anything we’ve done before. Suddenly you can create these genuinely interesting emotional worlds.”
– Eric Whitacre
THE NEW WORLD OF CHORAL EXPRESSION
At the heart of the library are 245 experimental techniques performed by 19 members of the Eric Whitacre Singers (Soprano 5, Alto 5, Tenor 4, Bass 5) recorded with a comprehensive range of mic positions in the stunning acoustics of AIR Studios, home of countless blockbuster scores. Each technique, curated with the awe-inspiring expertise of Eric Whitacre, is presented with two contrasting tones — ‘Light’ and ‘Dark’ — Light created with an open vowel shape, and Dark with a closed vowel shape. This seemingly subtle change creates a completely different tone and timbre. The techniques themselves — aptly named fragments, shards, divergences, murmuring, prisms — have been carefully curated to subtly (and sometimes dramatically) dance and move beneath your fingertips, moving at different intervals and through varying shifts in dynamic, tone, and pitch.
SCALE MODE & EVO GRID TECHNOLOGY
Spitfire Audio’s Scale Mode technology allows music makers to select from any of the seven diatonic modes or build their own scale. From there, it intelligently selects the samples that conform to that scale, split by velocity, developing these intervallic techniques and triggering wider intervals at higher velocities. All techniques can also be recombined and layered in Spitfire Audio’s Evo Grid, mappable across the keyboard in endless combinations, either manually or in pre-made configurations of rich, evolving textures. Click ‘Feeling Lucky’ to randomize these combinations for instant inspiration, breathing new life into your music.
PUSHED TO POWERFUL EXTREMES
The eDNA synth engine moves these stunning choral performances into the electronic sphere to create rich, multi-tonal synth textures that haunt and glisten, offering limitless inspiration for producers, beat makers. sound designers or composers writing their next sci-fi, horror or game score.
Harnessing sophisticated technology and innovative processing techniques, it features 24 warps and 92 synth presets created from the organic material, as well as a huge range of in-built controls and FX for maximum creative control and endless sound design possibilities within the plugin. The synth engine also features bespoke presets from three outstanding guest sound artists — Oscar-nominated composer Ryan Lott (Son Lux), Clark, and Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith.
Whether you’re looking for instantly usable sounds straight out of the box or wanting to spend hours getting lost in unique sounds, Eric Whitacre Contrast will deliver exciting, unpredictable colors and textures to your sonic palette.
“The library is something special and I know I’ll make use of it in countless ways. I’m particularly excited about the ways the eDNA engine allowed me to come up with stuff that flirts with the edge of recognition of the raw materials as vocal-based. I feel like this will allow me to imbue non-vocal based textures with an elusive sense of humanity, and also the other way around; explicitly vocal textures can easily drift into abstraction. So fun!”
— Ryan Lott (Son Lux)
KEY FEATURES
Pre-order/Product page URL: https://www.spitfireaudio.com/eric-whitacre-contrast (will be live when the product is on sale)
AVAILABILITY & PRICING
Pre-order: October 16th, 2023 at 5pm BST
Available: October 26th, 2023 at 5pm BST
Pre-order/Product link: https://www.spitfireaudio.com/eric-whitacre-contrast
RRP: £249 / $299 / 279€
Intro Promo Price: £199 / $239 / 219€
* An exclusive 40% saving for Eric Whitacre Choir customers ends October 26th, 2023, followed by a crossgrade discount of 20% from that date onwards
About Eric Whitacre (https://ericwhitacre.com/)
The Grammy award-winning composer and conductor has had works programmed worldwide, and his ground-breaking Virtual Choirs have united 100,000 singers from more than 145 countries. To date, the Virtual Choirs have registered over 60 million views and have been seen on global TV.
Born in Nevada in 1970, Whitacre spent his formative years writing electronica and listening to Kraftwerk and Depeche Mode, then went to study at The Juilliard School, and in Las Vegas and – on a whim – joined a choir. “I thought, that’s the sound that’s been in my heart my whole life. It was a singular moment and it absolutely transformed me.”
His compositions have been widely recorded and his debut album as a conductor on Universal, Light and Gold, featuring the Eric Whitacre Singers, went straight to the top of the charts, earning him a Grammy. His most recent album, Home, is a collaboration with VOCES8 on Universal Decca featuring compositions spanning his thirty-year composition career. A sought-after guest conductor, Eric has conducted choral and instrumental concerts around the globe, including concerts with the London Symphony Orchestra, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and the Minnesota Orchestra. In addition to several collaborations with Hollywood composer Hans Zimmer and John Powell, he has worked with British pop icons Laura Mvula, Imogen Heap and Annie Lennox.
His composition for symphony orchestra and chorus, Deep Field, was inspired by the achievements of the Hubble Space Telescope and became the foundation for a collaboration with NASA, the Space Telescope Science Institute and 59 Productions, seen at arts and science festivals across the world.
Eric was Composer-in-Residence at Cambridge University from 2011 – 2016. He is currently Visiting Composer at Pembroke College, Cambridge University (UK) and is an Ambassador for the Royal College of Music, London.
A charismatic speaker, Eric Whitacre has given keynote addresses for many Fortune 500 companies, from Apple and Google to the World Economic Forum in Davos and the United Nations Speaker’s Program. His mainstage talks at the influential TED conference received standing ovations. His first collaboration with Spitfire Audio became an instant bestseller and is used by composers the world over.
About Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith (https://kaitlynaureliasmith.com/)
Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith is a classically-trained American composer, performer, and producer from the Pacific Northwest. Her music is a form of auditory interpretation, powered by curiosity and her toolkit of modular, analogue, and rare synthesizers (including her signature Buchla), orchestral textures, and voice. Since her first self-releases in 2012, she has explored the endless possibilities of electronic instruments and the relationship between sound, shape, color, body movement, and expression. Spanning releases on Western Vinyl, RVNG Intl., Ghostly International, and her own multidisciplinary project, Touchtheplants, her work has drawn acclaim from all reaches of the experimental music world, including NPR, The New York Times, The Wire, and Rolling Stone. The latter named Smith’s 2017 LP The Kid their avant-garde album of the year. Her collaborations include projects with Danny Elfman, Emile Mosseri, Suzanne Ciani, and commissions for Apple, BBC Orchestra, Epcot Center, Google, and others. With Let’s Turn It Into Sound, her latest album on Ghostly, Smith moves through vibrant avant-pop and neoclassical songcraft, expressing a feeling that words alone cannot.
Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith’s formative years were spent communing with nature in Puget Sound, in the northwest region of Washington state. Smith left to attend Berklee College of Music, where she studied composition and sound engineering, initially focusing on her voice before switching to classical guitar and piano. She employed the skills she refined in college in her indie-folk project Ever Isles, but a fateful encounter with a neighbor who lent her a Buchla 100 synthesizer had a profound effect on her. She explains, “I got so distracted and enamored with the process of making sounds with it that I moved into an entirely new direction musically.”
In 2012, Smith began uploading various experiments and improvisations to Bandcamp. When recording the projects Cows will eat the weeds and Useful Trees, she set an intention to create one piece per day with her Buchla, guitar, piano, and voice on a 4-track. In 2013, she recorded Tides: Music for Meditation and Yoga, a collection of instrumentals commissioned by Smith’s mother to accompany her yoga practice. The album was given a vinyl release in 2019 via Touchtheplants, Smith’s publishing imprint for projects including her instrumental Electronic Series, various artist compilations, and pocket-sized poetry books on the practice of listening and hearing.
In 2015, Smith signed to Western Vinyl and released her first official album, Euclid, a playful and wide-eyed album that spurred from her experiments in writing music for geometric shapes while at the San Francisco Conservatory. Reviewing the album, Pitchfork likened the sound to Laurie Spiegel, High Places, and The Knife, noting, “a range that encompasses something approaching song structure and a form of ambient drift that nimbly floats up into the stratosphere.” The following year, Smith released EARS, a wonderstruck psychedelic breakthrough that expanded her palette of bubbling textures. Met with further acclaim, EARS landed on various year-end lists including Pitchfork, NPR, and Resident Advisor.
Smith continued her watershed 2016 with Sunergy, a collaborative album with longtime influence Suzanne Ciani released on RVNG Intl., and teamed up with Mark Pritchard for Absolut’s remix series, toured with Animal Collective, and soundtracked Google’s virtual tour series The Hidden Worlds of the National Parks. Throughout this time she also established herself in film and television scoring, with composer credits including Reggie Watts’ short film Brasilia: City of the Future and Miguel Arteta’s comedy Duck Butter, and music usage in Comedy Central’s Broad City and the Netflix series Disjointed.
The Kid saw release in 2017 to widespread praise, earning spots in year-end lists by NME, Rolling Stone, Vogue, and many others. The sprawling set is a sonic representation of four distinct stages of the human lifespan, from birth to self-awareness to the forging of one’s individual identity to old age and death. To support the album, she performed 170 shows throughout Australia, North America, Canada, South America, and Europe, including dates with Dan Deacon, Four Tet, and Tortoise, at venues such as The Hollywood Bowl, The Barbican, MoMA NYC, and the San Francisco Symphony. Her resume as a remixer also grew with notable reworks for the likes of Max Richtor, King Gizzard, Patti Smith, Danny Elfman, The Field, Perfume Genius, and Anoushka Shankar.
In 2020, Smith signed to Ghostly International to release The Mosaic of Transformation, an expression of love and appreciation for electricity. She partnered with the Calm app to preview the album, which presents a visual language she discovered through movement, the human body’s interpretation of frequencies, akin to a mosaic. Clash Magazine wrote, “she’s at the point where the tools at her disposal now fully reflect her, as opposed to the other way around.” Shortly after the release, in the early days of the pandemic, Smith and Oscar/GRAMMY-nominated composer Emile Mosseri started working on music together over email. Trading files back and forth, they arrived at I Could Be Your Dog (Prequel), a soft-focus dream world built from synthesizer, piano, electronics, and voice. A celebration of the human spirit, the music “blurred the lines between ethereal synth work and percussive neo-psych,” per Bandcamp. The duo resumed sessions for I Could Be Your Moon (Sequel), which completed the 2-part project, released together with the prequel as a full-length LP on Ghostly in spring 2022. This collaboration saw some tasteful placements in Dior’s runway show and Louis Vuitton’s , Yayoi Kusama ad campaign.
Just months later, Smith returned with Let’s Turn It Into Sound, her most ambitious, intuitive, and inviting solo work to date. Musically, she deploys unexpected, non-linear pop structures and a new vocal processing technique to embody different characters of the self. The record’s visuals, created with longtime collaborator Sean Hellfritsch using a motion-capture suit, further interpret these signals from the subconscious and their relationship to the body. Other ventures in 2022 include working with Tyler Bates on the score for the new Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind attraction at the Epcot Theme Park in Walt Disney World Florida. She also contributed to the soundtrack for the Lee Alexander Mcqueen: Mind Mythos Muse exhibition at LACMA as well as an original composition to the new Dungeons & Dragons compilation SPELLJAMS, and the score to Jordan Speer’s animated short film Sunbelly originally aired inside Toonami / Adult Swim. Currently scoring “Omni Loop” directed by Bernardo Britto (Los Espookys).
About Clark (https://throttleclark.com/)
Chris Clark has worked with music and sound for twenty years. Signed at an early age to legendary British indie label Warp Records, he has to date released thirteen albums as well as a multitude of EPs and singles. In May 2023 he presented ‘Sus Dog’, his tenth studio album and the first to fully focus on his voice. Released on his own burgeoning label Throttle Records, the record was mentored and executive produced by Thom Yorke, who sings and plays bass on the track ‘Medicine’.
“Chris wrote me to say he’d started singing, looking for feedback/advice or whatever, cuz it was kind of new shark-infested waters for him. I’ve been into what he does for years, and I ended up being a kind of backseat driver as he pieced all the oddness of it together, which was fascinating”, comments Thom Yorke.
“I wasn’t surprised to discover he came at singing and words through another door completely, which to me was the most interesting and exciting part. The first thing he sent me was him singing about being stuck between two floors and I was already sold. To me the way he approached it all wasn’t the usual singer songwriter guff thank god; it mirrored the way he approached all his composition and recording, but this time it had a human face. His face.”
Unlike previous LP ‘Playground In A Lake’, which turned impending ecological doom into beautiful dark art, on ‘Sus Dog’ Clark often sounds uplifting, albeit in his own inimitable way.
Purveying a sort of skewed-psychedelic-hardcore-dream-pop-brilliance, prior to beginning Clark “kept on thinking ‘what would it sound like if The Beach Boys took MDMA and made a rave record?’”. This early seed grew into something epic – abundant with aural and poetic depth, clues, inferences and in- jokes. It’s clearly brilliant and immediately enjoyable, but there’s much to unpack: It’s a big but tantalizing undertaking, where plenty more treasure can be discovered amidst layers of ambiguity, obliqueness and abstraction.
Following his 2015 debut score for Sky / Canal+ TV series ‘The Last Panthers’ (John Hurt / Samantha Morton, dir: Johan Renck), he scored ‘Rellik’ for BBC1 / HBO (Richard Lancaster dir: Sam Miller) and breakout Channel 4 / Hulu drama ‘Kiri’ (Sarah Lancashire, dir: Euros Lynn, written by Jack Thorne).
Most recently he scored Apple TV+’s ‘Lisey’s Story’ (Julianne Moore, Clive Owen, dir. Pablo Larraín) based on Stephen King’s novel, as well as ‘Daniel Isn’t Real’ (Patrick Schwarzenegger, Miles Robbins) a psychological horror feature film by Spectre Vision, producers of cult Nick Cage hit ‘Mandy’. The film’s OST released by Deutsche Grammophon.
Chris has frequently collaborated with choreographer Melanie Lane, scoring no less than eleven contemporary dance projects including the performance of her solo project ‘Tilted Fawn’ at the Sydney Opera House and most recently ‘Personal Effigies’ which won the Kier Choreographic Prize in March 2018 and ‘WOOF’ for the prestigious Sydney Dance Company.
Chris’ extensive inventory of remixes for the likes of Thom Yorke, Massive Attack, Depeche Mode, Max Richter, Battles and Nils Frahm were collected in 2013 on the ‘Feast / Beast’ double album.
About Ryan Lott (https://ryan-lott.com/)
Ryan Lott is a composer, producer, and performer. In 2007, Ryan founded Son Lux, releasing music that “works at the nexus of several rarely-overlapping Venn Diagrams” (Pitchfork). In 2014, Son Lux became a trio, both live and on record, with the additions of guitarist-composer Rafiq Bhatia and drummer Ian Chang. Their latest studio release is an album trilogy called Tomorrows, released in full in 2021. As a band, Son Lux scored the 2023 Best Picture Winner Everything Everywhere All at Once, which earned them a BAFTA and Academy Award nomination, with a second Academy Award nomination for their end-credit song collaboration with Mitski and David Byrne.
An avid collaborator in dance, Lott has worked with choreographers Stephen Petronio, Gina Gibney, Kyle Abraham, and Jodie Gates, along with companies The Royal Ballet, Ballet de Lorraine, National Dance Company of Wales, and BalletX. His feature film scores include The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby (2014), Paper Towns (2015), and Mean Dreams (2017), and arrangements for several others, most notably the iconic sci-fi film Looper (2012), for which Ryan was also pianist and instrument designer.
He is frequently commissioned by new music ensembles, including eighth blackbird (Lott contributed to their GRAMMY-winning 2015 release Filament), GRAMMY winners Third Coast Percussion, and yMusic, who enlisted Lott to compose their entire 2017 release First. Other recent commissions include an arrangement of “Peace Like A River” for Paul Simon, and a new orchestral work, “The Swift & the Storm,” for the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra. He has several releases under his own name, including the learning structures cycle and the original Tell Me Why game soundtrack, heralded as “the new gold standard for trans characters in games.”
About Spitfire Audio (www.spitfireaudio.com)
Spitfire Audio is a British music technology company that specializes in sounds — sample libraries, virtual instruments, and other useful software devices. It collaborates with the best composers, artists, and engineers in the world to build musical tools that sound great and are exciting to use.
Spitfire Audio was founded by two award-winning composers. Born out of their shared dissatisfaction with string sample libraries, they pooled their resources and decided to record their own string samples at the legendary Air Studios in London. Initially, they invited a limited number of friends and associates to own copies of their samples, but whispers of this private sample club soon started to echo across the Atlantic Ocean throughout the composer community. Within a year, some of the most renowned composers in film and television signed up, so they decided to take their samples public.
To date, Spitfire Audio has recorded and released over 200 sample libraries, collaborating with some of the biggest names in media composition, including Hans Zimmer, Eric Whitacre, Ólafur Arnalds & the London Contemporary Orchestra. Spitfire Audio’s sounds are heard in everything, from major Hollywood film scores to recordings by Radiohead and U2. This initial side project is now a thriving international music technology enterprise, with a uniquely experienced and diverse workforce, all focused on a shared mission: to inspire a generation of composers. The composer team remains at the center of the business, drawing on their own experience as obsessive music makers to explore the needs and wants of their fellow composers.
