Music

Uematsu has created music for countless Square Enix games, including classics like Chrono Trigger, Final Fantasy VI, and Final Fantasy VII. Now he’s going to be the subject of a biography by James Mielkem, Nobuo Uematsu: On the Record.

Windows MIDI Services is ready for primetime and brings support for MIDI 2.0 and improvements to MIDI 1.0 to Microsoft machines. This includes support for higher resolution expression, loopback, and bidirectional communication with MIDI 2.0 hardware. Now with the major OS providers onboard, maybe adoption of MIDI 2.0 will pick up steam.

Ahead of the debut of The Gorillaz’s new album The Mountain, the animated band has dropped a teaser video that makes it seem like there might also be a short film situation on the way.

With the new integration, SeatGeek will join the dozens of other companies Spotify partners with to sell tickets within its app. SeatGeek will surface tickets for shows at 15 major venues around the US, which could appear as recommendations on an artist’s Spotify page or inside notifications.

It can apparently recognize how much influence a given track or artist had on AI content, and can work with or without cooperation from AI developers. Sony thinks it could be used to create a licensing system for AI music, but “has yet to decide” when it might be put to use.

Flow Tuner lets users pick which genres are included in a Flow session, rather than just disliking individual songs. It’s a hamfisted way to customize your algorithm, but the specificity of Deezer’s options are impressive: Metalcore, Balkan Folk, Schlager. This is well beyond your basic buckets like rock and pop.

Similar to the Prompted Playlists that Spotify launched in December, YouTube Music premium subscribers on iOS and Android can now use voice or text descriptions to turn ideas, genres, or vibes into personalized playlists.

The world of affordable plugins, sample library subscriptions, and a particularly virulent case of GAS (Gear Acquisition Syndrome) has me making less music, not more. YouTuber and producer Jon Makes Beats is developing a TTRPG that battles decision paralysis with dice rolls and a Dungeons & Dragons-like rule system.

Cardi had a little fun with a pint-sized humanoid in San Francisco. She ran her hands over its tiny silver body, got a little flirty, and then seemingly was caught off guard by its weight. She put her arms around its neck, it tilted forward, and they both hit the pavement.

You know the deal: Every dollar you spend on Bandcamp today goes directly to the artist, and the site forgoes its cut. I’m eyeing a few things, including the new Mandy, Indiana record, URGH. But let us know what you’re snagging in the comments.

You’ll be able to livestream the famous K-Pop group’s first concert in three years on March 21st, the day after the new BTS album comes out. You might want some coffee, though; the show starts at 7AM ET that day.

The latest trailer for Antoine Fuqua’s Michael Jackson biopic is here, and it makes the movie seem like it’s really going to hammer home how Joe Jackson’s tough parenting turned his children into (dysfunctional) stars.

This high-tech cosmic kalimba is available as a limited Launch Edition with three exclusive resonators, and orders are expected to ship in April. That’s not cheap for an obviously niche instrument, so maybe check out some of the early reviews before carving out space in your studio budget.

All You Need Is Kill is a feast for the eyes, but the animated feature’s soundtrack is also an absolute knockout, and you can listen to it now on all the major streaming platforms.

Ahead of Mobile Suit Gundam Hathaway: The Sorcery of Nymph Circe’s Japanese theatrical debut on January 30th, Bandai Namco Filmworks has announced that SZA’s “Snooze” has been selected as the movie’s opening theme.

On December 31st, MTV shuttered its 24-hour music channels across the UK, Ireland, France, Germany, Austria, Poland, Hungary, Australia, and Brazil. It signed off with one last music video: “Video Killed the Radio Star.”