Things We Like: Phenakistiscope Vinyl Records /  by Music Orange

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Of all the unusual gimmicks applied to vinyl records - from colored vinyl to locked grooves to records that randomly play different versions of a song - phenakistiscopes are among our favorites. A phenakistiscope is a rotating disc with images printed around its perimeter that appear to animate when viewed under a strobe light (the above phenakistiscope is Kate Bush’s Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God) 2012 Remix). All you need is 1) a turntable, 2) a strobe light with adjustable speed or a vinyl strobe app such as VinylStrobe for iOS or Strobily for Android, and 3) a phenakistiscope disc or slip mat. A Google search for “phenakistiscope vinyl” or “zoetrope vinyl” will yield a ton of results, but be sure to check out the latest Sculpture record or the slip mats sold by TheFisherKingStore. For printable PDFs try Drew Tetz’s website.

Sculpture Projected Music

Sculpture Projected Music

Sculpture Music for Exposition Electro

Sculpture Music for Exposition Electro

Sculpture Plastic Infinite

Sculpture Plastic Infinite

TRACK OF THE MONTH / october 2019: Stomping Ground /  by Music Orange

Stomping Ground: TRACK OF THE MONTH / october 2019*

This month…Layered handclaps, wooden blocks, and other organic toned percussion open "Stomping Ground" with a kinetic sounding shuffle. But when short bursts of electric guitar and airhorns enter the scene, it all sounds a bit inspired by Brazilian new rave (think CSS). As the rhythmic layers continue to build, the song morphs into punk-pointed dance pop (not too unlike Dragonette or The Ting Tings).

Find this one filed under INDIE…ALT POP in The Music Orange Library Online (MOLO).

library.musicorange.com/

*Each month, we feature a new track from the Music Orange Library online—the easiest, most intuitive online library in the industry. If you like what you hear, please visit and check out some of our latest tracks. Enjoy the Music!

Things We Like: Every Noise at Once /  by Music Orange

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Every Noise at Once is a tool that attempts to list every musical genre there is, visually represented on the page so you can see how they sonically relate to one another, and with audio examples for each! Not sure what the difference is between Aggrotech and Terrorcore? No problem, just listen to the examples. And clicking on any genre will take you to a page of artists that are representative of that genre. It's a fun and valuable tool for composers and curious listeners alike.

TRACK OF THE MONTH / september 2019: Slow Your Roll /  by Music Orange

Slow Your Roll: TRACK OF THE MONTH / september 2019*

This month…Although "Slow Your Roll" isn't technically acid-jazz, it does hark back to that magic time of the early '90s when bands like The Brand New Heavies and Greyboy Allstars were being buzzed by groovy people. This jam kicks off on a vintage organ strut that would make Booker T. Jones proud. But when the funky house beat kicks in, it's easy to remember that groove is in the heart. Other instrumental layers include some sweet guitar licks, a spooky sounding synthesizer and sublime background vocals.

Find this one filed under SUPERFUNK…SOUL in The Music Orange Library Online (MOLO).

library.musicorange.com/

*Each month, we feature a new track from the Music Orange Library online—the easiest, most intuitive online library in the industry. If you like what you hear, please visit and check out some of our latest tracks. Enjoy the Music!

#TBT: Sprint: "Sprint Holiday Viral Website Experience" /  by Music Orange

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Back in 2008, John Zissimos and Shelly Townsend contacted us to arrange and produce a Holiday choir for Sprint’s interactive greeting card. Users could type in anything that they might want for the holidays and the recipient would be implored to buy it for them by the “Not-So-Subtle Holiday Hint Choir.” We wrote the arrangement and recorded the choir during a live shoot, which you can see by watching the clip.

Things We Like: Fender Tune App /  by Music Orange

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There are a lot of good iOS tuners out there. Two we particularly like for ease of use and accuracy are the BOSS Tuner (free) and VITALtuner (free or paid). But the paid version of Fender Tune, available here, is our new go to tuner. It’s accurate, easy to use, includes alternate tunings, and has settings for guitars, bass, and ukulele. But the thing that makes it stand out is that you can store custom tunings. That’s huge since few apps that include alternate tunings allow you create custom ones. Take the tuning Nick Drake uses on several albums - CGCFCE. We’ve never seen that tuning included in a tuner app. With Fender Tune it’s not an issue. Just enter it in as a custom tuning and you’re ready to go. When you go to the tuning page you can click on the note names to play samples of each note. This is helpful to quickly get your guitar close to in tune. Then use the main tuning function for accurate, precise tuning. The paid version also includes a chord finder, scales, a metronome, some basic drum beats, and some helpful beginner videos.

TRACK OF THE MONTH / august 2019: Mirrors on the Wall /  by Music Orange

Mirrors on the Wall: TRACK OF THE MONTH / august 2019*

This month…When you listen to "Mirrors on the Wall," you will fully understand that the bass was invented to make people shake, shimmy, and strut. But here we come to further understand that deep funk rhythm is a chemistry: bass needs drums. And these beats lay down a groove so infectious, it just might stay in your head all day long. Add in some awesome sounding sonic accoutrements like analog synths and robotic vocals and suddenly it seems like Jamiroquai and Daft Punk threw a party…and this is the invitation.

Find this one filed under SUPERFUNK…SOUL in The Music Orange Library Online (MOLO).

library.musicorange.com/

*Each month, we feature a new track from the Music Orange Library online—the easiest, most intuitive online library in the industry. If you like what you hear, please visit and check out some of our latest tracks. Enjoy the Music!

Things We Like: Song Exploder Podcast /  by Music Orange

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Song Exploder is a podcast where "musicians take apart their songs, and piece by piece, tell the story of how they were made." You get to hear isolated individual tracks while the musicians walk you through their decision making processes as they created their songs. Past episodes have included artists such as Bleachers, Nine Inch Nails, MGMT, The Killers, and Fleet Foxes. Well worth checking out.

Things We Like: Onde Magnétique OM-1 Cassette Synthesizer /  by Music Orange

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It’s hard to play, has a limited choice of notes, and sounds like it’s been sitting in a dusty attic for half a century. But the OM-1 Cassette Synthesizer is a quirky beast with an appealing sound that’s all its own. It utilizes continuous tones on a cassette tape and 8 buttons that can change the playback speed in order to create different pitches. Each button can be individually tuned so you can create whatever scales you want, and a pressure sensitive volume control allows you to change the volume by pressing harder or softer. It even includes some basic envelope controls. The maker is currently sold out so you’re going to have to find one on eBay or Reverb. http://www.ondemagnetique.com

#TBT: Plexophonic "My Walking Stick" /  by Music Orange

Ten years ago, Music Orange composer Michael Lande posted a series of his early jazz arrangements on YouTube under the moniker “Plexophonic.” The performances were done with only tenor ukulele, vocal bass, vocal trumpets, and hand percussion, with an occasional guitar or celeste thrown in. Check out the very first one, “My Walking Stick.”

TRACK OF THE MONTH / july 2019: Green-Light /  by Music Orange

Green-Light: TRACK OF THE MONTH / july 2019*

This month…If you’re looking for an energetic ska instrumental that’s retro but not kitschy, look no further. "Green-Light" packs the punch of yesteryear’s 2 Tone Records, but with a more modern mix. Playful electric guitar leads bounce alongside bobbing rhythms, punchy drums, and a classic horn section that sounds so good, you can literally hear a party starting in the background.

Find this one filed under ALT LATIN…SKA in The Music Orange Library Online (MOLO).

library.musicorange.com/

*Each month, we feature a new track from the Music Orange Library online—the easiest, most intuitive online library in the industry. If you like what you hear, please visit and check out some of our latest tracks. Enjoy the Music!