Dave at Cognitive Daily posted an interesting article about a listener’s ability to discern the differences between high-quality (256kbps), low-quality (128kbps), and really low-quality (64kbps) MP3 samples. I was able to choose them all correctly using my ears, my MacBook Pro’s sound card, and studio quality in-ear monitors.
Let’s see how humemes readers do. Here are the MP3’s he used in a different order:
Copland 1:
Copland 2:
Copland 3:
Santana 1:
Santana 2:
Santana 3:
After you’ve listened, post your guesses in the comments.
Here is a short documentary about the composer and experimental musician, Steve Reich. I love the man’s work and think he paved the way for a lot of modern experimental musicians. He’s been covered and sampled by a lot of modern artists and there are still people performing some of his most famous pieces.
Clubbo Records is a fake record label created in 2004 by two San Francisco musicians, Elise Malmberg and Joe Gore. They manufactured an entire back story spanning 40 years and created the music associated with each time period, from the early bubblegum rock of Clipper Cowbridge’s “Soda Pop Shop” to Lazarus Project’s “Cyber Magnolia” supposedly the work of a computer whiz which “… is instantly recognizable as the work of a certain chubby, bearded guitarist from a psychedelic San Francisco band known for its protracted jams and devoted, itinerant fans.”
The website is a pretty interesting look into the history of pop music genres over the past 40 years. They have played close attention to detail with the recording styles of the music and have adhered pretty closely to their respective periods. As a hoax, it is pretty involved and enjoyable.
Thanks go out to Bryan and Steph for turning me onto this website.
