The Human League’s Dare at 45: the synth album with a hit sung in a studio toilet
The Human League released Dare on 16 October 1981. How Martin Rushent layered 24 synths, used a Linn LM-1 and recorded Don’t You Want Me in a toilet.
Gleeman Pentaphonic: the see-through 80s synth with fewer than 70 built is now a $59 plugin
Fewer than 70 Gleeman Pentaphonics were built in a California garage in the early 80s. Cherry Audio has rebuilt the rare synth as a $59 plugin.
Italy investigates Suno’s terms of service, from account closures to moral rights
Italy’s competition authority has opened case CV278 against Suno over terms that let it close accounts without notice and make users waive their moral rights.
Musical hallucinations: what 80 people who hear phantom songs reported, from hymns to a Windows chime
A Journal of Neurology study of 80 people with musical hallucinations found hymns topped the list, 65% found it a burden and one heard the Windows start-up sound.
Pet Shop Boys’ Alan Turing album: the 2014 Prom they called “a demo with an orchestra”
Pet Shop Boys first played A Man from the Future at the 2014 Proms. Now the Alan Turing piece is an album, rebuilt in Berlin with analogue synths and an octet.
Bowie’s “Heroes” at 49: the Berlin album built around Eno’s briefcase synth
David Bowie released “Heroes” on 14 October 1977. How Brian Eno’s EMS Synthi, Robert Fripp’s feedback and three gated mics made the Berlin title track.
Depeche Mode’s 1988 Charles Bridge photo: why tourists queue in Prague to copy it
Anton Corbijn shot Dave Gahan and Martin Gore by the Pietà on Prague’s Charles Bridge in 1988. Now fans queue daily to recreate the photo. Here is the story.
Favourite songs eased needle pain in a 204-patient study, relaxation music did not
A University Hospital Zurich study of 204 MRI patients found favourite songs cut needle pain, Mozart helped some, and relaxation music did nothing at all.
DistroKid is pulling songs over Universal’s AI slop lawsuit, and artists say they got no warning
DistroKid has confirmed it is taking down tracks in response to Universal Music’s “AI slop” lawsuit. What the suit claims, and what removed artists are saying.
Teenage Engineering will stop making synths, OP-1 included, says its founder
Teenage Engineering founder Jesper Kouthoofd says the Stockholm firm will stop making synthesizers, OP-1 included. What he said, and what is still unclear.