Music with Passion
AI is changing music, but nobody knows yet how. Putting aside all the ways AI-generated music can make it easier to create “fraudulent” tracks, AI is more or less just another way of synthesis, where, instead of knobs and faders, you use language or whatever other new interface to create music. Will it push creativity to new boundaries, or will it mean just more mediocre tracks (according to whoever is judging that)?
Even without AI, it is strikingly easy to make a musical piece. But it is the passion behind it that counts, regardless of whether it translates into commercial success or not.
This week, the Japanese musical instrument manufacturer Roland released its new TR-1000 drum machine. It is the successor to the TR-808 and TR-909 drum machines of the 80s, which did not sell well at their time, but were essential to the birth of some of the most successful genres in music history, including house, techno, and hip hop.
Both drum machines are long out of production and priced as rarities today. However, samples of the original drum hits are ubiquitous and part of the sound libraries of pretty much every music hardware and software that can create rhythms.
The TR-1000 recreates the analog circuitry of the TR-808 and TR-909, so Roland claims it is the real thing. Some people might be able to hear the difference between the analog and digital versions, but for most musicians, it is only the knowledge of being closer to the original instrument that inspires them so much that they are ready to pay $2,700.
When you look at the comments on Roland’s three-hour deep dive video about the TR-1000, you have the passion right there: artists who want to be part of a culture with reverence to its history and pioneers.
The world of Ela Minus
Ela Minus certainly brings passion to electronic music. In a piece on Sam Valenti’s blog Herb Sundays, and the first episode of a video series by the Synth History Magazine, the Brooklyn-via-Colombia musician gives a deep insight into how her unique sound comes together. Also, she demonstrates that lots of pink tape makes a synth rig look less geeky.
Five Songs
Listen to glamglare five songs on Spotify, Apple Music, or below on YouTube.
It’s my birthday, so I decided to go with five songs that have accompanied me for many years — and to make it even more personal, each one comes from artists I’ve seen perform live.
- “Elemental” (1993) — Tears for Fears
- “Sign o’ the Times” (1987) — Prince
- “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For” (1987) — U2
- “Personal Jesus” (1990) — Depeche Mode
- “Champion” (2022) — Warpaint
Here’s to the songs that never fade — and to the memories they keep creating.
Song Pick of the Day
Listen to/watch all seven songs on YouTube. Follow our daily updated playlists on YouTube, Apple Music, or Spotify for the 50 latest Song Pick of the Day features, or subscribe here to receive them in your mailbox in real-time. Thank you for following us and sharing the excitement.
- Dear Boy slow it down with shimmering indie cool on their new single “The Address.”
- Baroque vocals meet pulsing synths and heavy percussion in Suki Emmanuelle’s striking debut “Discover Heaven.”
- The Midnight’s new single “Runaways” with Bonnie McKee captures their irresistible late-night synth-pop magic — and their album “Syndicate” is out now.
- Penelope Trappes channels sacred energies in “The Mercy of the Hagetisse,” a cinematic, ritualistic piece for the darker season.
- Floss Jordan’s "House of Sun" blends London cool with glowing alt-pop energy.
- “ENDLESS DEATHLESS” feels like standing in the storm — fierce, uncertain, and full of light. Just Mustard at their most alive.
- Sessa’s “Nome de Deus” shimmers with jazz-infused intimacy and timeless grace.
Nine Photos of Sun, Sail & Skyline
On Sunday, we caught the Pioneer one last time on her final sail of the season.
The weather could not have been more gorgeous — summer-warm temperatures, plenty of sunshine, and just the right breeze for a perfect sail. Seriously, make sure to hop on board next season!
The bottom three photos are from our building and terrace, which, per New York law, are currently undergoing inspection. The process is now well underway. Can you spot the hanging baskets on the upper floors? When they’re not high up there, they sit on our neighbors’ terraces… and we’re wondering when our turn will come.
Enjoy the impressions!
Photos: Elke NominikatP