Stuff - UK (2020-02)

100 BEST APPS

NOW

ADD

THIS

CLOSER

Richie ‘Plastikman’
Hawtin gets you up
close and personal
at a selection of
gigs as he gives a
serious kicking to
synths, decks and
drum machines.
You can switch
viewpoints, turn
channels on and
off, and thereby
DJ the DJ. Or
something. Make
sure you’ve loads
of space, because
the gig downloads
are massive.
£free / Android, iOS

SPLASH – DIVE

INTO MUSIC

Pad-based systems for

transforming you into a musical

genius are nothing new. But

Splash is a welcome addition

due to its immediacy, solid and

varied selection of loops... and

being entirely free. Load it up,

prod some buttons, and then

dance behind a massive synth

doing precisely nothing.

£free / Android, iOS

IK MULTIMEDIA

iRIG KEYS I/O

Software on a

touchscreen is all

very well, but to be

the next Howard

Jones you’ll need

an actual synth with

keys to press and

knobs to twiddle.

The iRig Keys is a

compact unit that

ably does the job,

and thoughtfully even

includes a stand for

your iPad. More of a

virtuoso pianist than

a synth smasher? Go

for the 49-key edition

(€366) instead.

€244 /

ikmultimedia.com

Android gets a

rough deal with

music-making,

but Groovebox hits

the spot with its

mix of power and

immediacy. You

can build drum and

synth loops on the

fly or string them

together to make

songs. Whether

you’re into soaring

synths, ambient

washes or heavy

beats, it’s top stuff.

£5.99 / Android

SEQUENCE

GROOVEBOX

Make some music, or just

smarten up the way you listen

to other people’s, with these

phone-based phunksters

FEEL THE

NOISE

BRIAN ENO:

REFLECTION

Ambient music god

Eno describes this

work (co-created

with Peter Chilvers)

as like sitting by

a river, in that

it’s always the

same but always

changing. As with

its abstract visual

component, the

shifts in sound are

subtle and slow.

It’s expensive, but

infinite Eno can be

perfect background

fodder forever.

£29.99 / iOS

MELODY VR

Like concerts?

Less enamoured

with actually going

to concerts? With

Melody VR, you can

plonk yourself in

front of the stage

at a range of gigs,

or – if you’re feeling

cheeky – right

on the stage itself.

Just don’t forget

where you are and

start air-guitaring

in your shared flat.

That’s not a good

look for anyone.

£free (IAPs) /

Android, iOS