MPE rising from obscurity

MPE (Midi Polyphonic Expression) took big step forward to become feature music software and hardware should implement. Until last two week there have mostly been synths with good MPE implementation or good synths with MPE implementation which let you use use synth with MPE controller. First ones you could have bought from Roli’s site. Those are still ones with best MPE implementation but as synths they are not among the best ones. I don’t have every synth with MPE implementation. Serum could be good synth with good MPE implementation after it got MPE support earlier this year. I can’t comment on its MPE support since I don’t have it. Now I know two good synths with good MPE implementation.

MPE is midi extension. On technical level MPE means each note gets its own midi channel. This means each note has its own aftertouch, pitch wheel and mod wheel. Velocity has been per note already. Fifth dimension of expression is Lift which tells how finger was lifted from the key. Synths on Roli’s site have implemented it but I don’t remember seeing it anywhere else since it has quite limited usefulness as modulation source. Other four are more important. Roli has kept list of software and hardware with MPE support. List has not been updated in couple months but I assume it will soon have two synths which got MPE support during last two weeks.

We can probably thank Serum that Icarus 2 and Pigments 2 have MPE support. After these three have MPE support everyone else have to seriously consider adding MPE support to their products. Pigments 2 was Arturia’s first synth with MPE support. I wouldn’t be too surprised it V Collection synths get it 2020. After that MPE controller owners don’t have to think about buying software synths without MPE support.

Roli just launched Studio Editions of their Block range. Seaboard Block is expensive compared to cheapest midi controllers. But it is not that expensive if you want to have really expressive controller. With Seaboard Block you can expand your keyboard later and add Lightpad Block to give more control. I will leave you with video demonstrating some of the MPE capable controllers. There are more than the four shown on video.

Jack of All Trades - Master of None

Short video telling why I had so long break and why videos will take so long to publish. I have listened lately two podcasts which talked about how being jack of all trades can be good thing in the end. Book about that was released lately. Here I tell how hard it could be if you want to get something done. Video was heavily inspired by Death Grips' I've Seen Footage. I wrote little about that video in other post.

Video is made out of 1262 stills I shot during few nights and short Blender animation test. I try to make fully animated videos next year. This was sneak peak to those videos if they ever get made.

Best thing at the moment: Death Grips - I've Seen Footage

Last week I had script for video but no idea what to shoot. Then I watched Death Grips’ I’ve Seen Footage and knew exactly what I wanted to do. Now I have video ready to be uploaded to Youtube heavily inspired by this video. This post’s thumbnail is from earlier version of my video. What will go to Youtube will be little different.

I found Death Grips earlier this year from link in group I was in. Link was to cyberpunk site which had post telling about Death Grips. Death Grips is not cyberpunk. It is something else. You could say it hip hop group with artistic tendencies and who doesn’t care about anything. But that doesn’t say what the group actually is. Their roots are in hip hop but they are so experimental on everything labeling them just hip hop band doesn’t make justice to what they are.

Death Grips is more of a experience than band. They have ideas they go full on without compromises. Ideas aren’t always that good but energy and attitude they put in makes them work most of the times. I’ve Seen Footage is good gateway to world of Death Grips. It will get weirder when you get deeper. I have’t found anything else getting even close to Death Grips.

Best thing at the moment: Daoko - Daisuki with TeddyLoid

Weird Youtube recommendation. Music video from Japan. Youtube’s algorithm has found what works for me. If you open this on Youtube you can find English translation of lyric from comments. I liked the song and video before reading the translation. Translation made me like the song more and understand why video is what it is.

I thought I found new artist whose discography I need to get. Turns out this was collaboration and her regular music isn’t as edgy as this song. Not bad but it didn’t work as well when I checked it. I might still get whole album where this is from but I need to check it better. Thanks to Itunes I could get only this one first.

I don’t usually listen this kind of music but if song is good enough I listen any genre. Weirdness is always plus.

Best thing at the moment: Church of the Cosmic Skull - Cold Sweat

I am listening Church of the Cosmic Skull’s latest album Everybody’s Going to Die when I write this. This video is from their previous album Science Fiction. Everybody’s Going to Die is going to be on my favorite albums of 2019 list. But this video is too good not to be shared. Church of the Cosmic Skull unapologetically play 70’s hard rock but they don’t feel like they try to sound like 70’s hard rock band. They are one but on 2019.

On their first album they thought they need to have everything in one song. Science Fiction took step to more streamlined direction. Everybody’s Going to Die goes even further into that direction. Science Fiction has been on my “one day I will buy this album” list for some time. Only reason I haven’t done it yet was because they added too many parts to their songs. You can see it in this song too. There is a part where song kind of lose its momentum and they start jamming. Even with that part this video is best thing at the moment.

I like how they have vision and how they go all in. Or this is what they are and they formed the band about forty years too late. Church of the Cosmic Skull has sister band Dystopian Future Movies. It is more modern band with its own vision and style. Worth checking if you enjoy “cinematic” rock music.

Best thing at the moment: Batman: The doom that came to Gotham

This post is not meant to devaluate The Immortal Hulk even though I publish it so close to it. First I thought I write post about The doom that came to Gotham without making it Best thing at the moment post. That was before I finished the book. Reason why this comes so close to The Immortal Hulk is because I started reading the comic right after writing that post. No. Not every comic I read is best thing ever. I just happened to read two good ones back to back.

Reason why I wanted to write about The doom that come to Gotham was it isn’t that well known. Gotham by gaslight is much better know Elseworlds Batman comic. I have heard of few others too. But never about The doom that came to Gotham until couple weeks ago. It is weird Gotham by gaslight drawn by Mike Mignola is better known than The doom that came to Gotham written by Mike Mignola. Mike Mignola is the guy who created Hellboy. Hellboy universe is my favorite comic book universe. I will get back to it later. For those who don’t know DC’s Elseworlds stories are stories with familiar character in different worlds where anything can happen.

The doom that came to Gotham is lovecraftian Batman story. Maybe better term is lovecraftian horror story played by Batman characters. That is how it feels like. Batman characters are there but they are changed some much they feel they act similar character. This goes to level where story might have worked better without making it Batman story. Batman characters don’t add much to story. That said Two-Face and Poison Ivy were turned into great lovecraftian characters. What was done to Two-Face made me make this Best thing at the moment post.

In this world Bruce Wayne has known for twenty years he has to fight evil forces in Gotham. He has adventured around the world waiting for sign to come back to Gotham. He gets that at the beginning. He returns to Gotham 1926 bringing seed of the doom. You will be surprised if you expect this to follow rules of Batman stories. No character is safe even if they are important in normal Batman comics. Here everything serves lovecraftian story.

The doom that came to Gotham remind lot of Hellboy. Story has many same elements. Artwork could be from Hellboy universe book. Probably because of the way Mignola writes comics. This might be over looked by Batman fans because it more Lovecraft and Hellboy than Batman. Lovecraft and Hellboy fans will enjoy this book.