Colonel Abrams passes away. New clones of classic Roland drum machines released. Aphex Twin announces first UK show since 2012.
Colonel Abrams, 1949-2016. House music pioneer Colonel Abrams, best known for his signature 1985 hit ‘Trapped’, had been homeless and suffering from diabetes in New York. Last year, friends launched a crowdfunding campaign in order to help Abrams gain access to diabetes medication and get him off the streets. His friend, DJ Tony Tune Herbert announced the news of Abrams’ death on Facebook on Friday. He said Abrams was now “at peace” and was “no longer suffering”. Abrams was credited with helping bring house music into the mainstream. Read more here.
Cyclone Analogic announces clones of two classic Roland drum machines. The TT-606 Drum Drone is inspired by Roland’s TR-606 Drumatix but adds a clap and rimshot to its instrument set. The TT-78 Beat Bot is modelled on the CR-78, and includes percussion sounds like the guiro, tambourine, clave, congas and maraca. Check out the TT-606 in action above and the TT-78 here.
Aphex Twin announces his first UK show in five year. The pioneering electronic musician is set to play a two-hour set at Field Day 2017. He has not played live in the UK since October 2012. Tom Baker, Field Day’s co-founder, described it as an “incredible honour”.
Korg release iWavestation for iOS. Based on their classic Wavestation synth from 1990, Korg have brought the iWavestation to iPhone and iPad. In addition to completely reproducing the programs of the original, it also features a renewed design that lets everyone experience the sound-shaping potential of the original synth. The sound and functionality are direct replicas of the Wavestation. Check out the video above and read more here.
Eventide announce a seasonal sale. Until December 31st, there are savings of up to 80% on UltraChannel, Blackhole, H3000 Factory, Anthology X and more. To see the full sale click here.
Secretsundaze announce new six-week studio production course. The course specialises in analogue hardware and includes one-to-one personalised tuition from professional producers and engineers. Secretsundaze are also offering artist development as part of the course. Get a feel for the Secretsundaze studio in our feature here and find out more about the course here.
Rob Papen announces Predator 2. Originally released in 2009, the update includes various new features such as improved oscillators, editable user waves and stereo filters. Find out more here.
Audiomodern release Paths. Paths is a loop-based sampler instrument for NI Kontakt, also available in WAV, Apple Loops, ACID and REX formats. Watch the preview above.