I was searching through old and new music visualizers in order to replace just having the album cover play on YouTube for the album, Synemotion.
One next-gen 3-d music visualizer has pretty interesting effects and that was APEXvj. It might be that the graphics are so well done or the algorithm, the Finnish programmer, Simo Santavirta used. But it seems he found a “way to detect these rewarding moments in a song and to use them to add visually stimulating components at the right time.”
As he states on his website:
“According to several studies, when you listen to music your brain is wired into an anticipation-reward mode. It’s sort of like humming a song and waiting for specific sound patterns to emerge.
When they do, or even better, when an unexpected pattern surprises you in a positive way, your body rewards you by producing dopamine. Dopamine makes us happy, creative and motivated!
The intended result is to strengthen the dopamine producing effect when we experience music.”
His technology is browser based using WebGL in Chrome and it was very easy to test out the songs because the development uses the Soundcloud API.
It was quite difficult to get the visuals into a video. But, of course this app is not for making videos but for “real-time” VJing or live performance.
With a few trials and errors and quite a few capture software programs, I believe this is a somewhat satisfactory result, at least something for your eyes as well as your ears.
My new progressive metal album Synemotion is being pressed right now at the vinyl pressing plant in France and expect it in 14 days, so I’m running a small contest before its release..hope you will join.
OH. has organized a new contest for three lucky winners!!
Every winner will receive 1 copy each of the Limited Edition Double Gatefold vinyl album pressed on 12″ black vinyl OH’s new progressive rock and metal album Synemotion.
Contest begins: April 24, 2015
Contest ends: May 8, 2015 at 12:00 midnight (Athens, Greece) or 5:00 PM (EST)
It’s easy to enter the contest, just go to FB here http://statictab.com/r22di7h (give us a like if you want) and click the photo to enter the form on the next page and enter your name and email address.
Winners will be announced on FB, sent an email and also announced on Nick Katona’s radio show on House of Prog who will be playing the vinyl for the first time in the upcoming weeks (date to be announced)
I would like to thank the Crossover Team at the Prog Archives website for adding OH. to their premier progressive rock music online resource.
The Prog Archives website project came out from a common dream of a small group of fanatic progressive rock music collectors who decided to develop a website for the online progressive rock music community, with the goal of providing extensive Progressive Rock Music information, as well as interaction features for prog surfers.
You can find progressive rock music discographies from 7,914 bands & artists, 40,228 albums (LP, CD and DVD), 812,247 ratings and reviews from 46,020 members who participate in their active forum.
I’d especially like to thank Olav Martin Bjørnsen for suggesting my addition to Prog Archives after listening to my music on TooHoppy’s (Rick Henry) radio show on House of Prog. Olav is a highly respected and well-known progressive rock writer and reviewer. He has reviewed for progressor.net since 2007 and is a special collaborator at progarchives.com as well as a jury member of the Italian based Progawards. You can view some of Olav’s recent reviews on House of Prog here as well as in the Prog Archives database.
I was added to the Crossover Prog sub-genre. From the Prog Archives website:
Crossover Prog definition:
“Crossover Prog contains progressive rock music that, though 100% progressive, may have a musical connection to popular music– whether it be the lack of emphasis on extended compositions, or an influence from mainstream music in addition to classical, jazz and folk. Compositions, however, still exhibit a high degree of sophistication, sometimes outright complexity, and the musicianship and virtuosity is often on a par with established Prog acts. Much like their kin in the established prog sub-genres, these groups will incorporate many major parts of what defines prog rock: the fusing of rock with the structures and discipline of more traditional musics, the use of syntheisizers and new technologies, intelligent thematics, and the expansion of the form”.
“The defining characteristics of Crossover Prog are a pop music influence that is largely vacant in typical prog rock. Songs tend toward shorter, more concise presentations though still reach beyond the typical verse, bridge, chorus pattern. The harmonic, melodic, and rhythmic structures may be more easily digested in Crossover while not losing the musical integrity that a prog listener expects. Whereas Prog Related bands are generally commercial groups with certain prog elements or players that were involved in prog acts, Crossover Prog artists are predominantly progressive with elements of popular music.”
“The most representative examples for this genre include The Moody Blues, Supertramp, Dredg, Cinema Show and Radiohead.
In a sea of millions of online musicians – I was very fortunate to have found a safe port where a warm community of friends, musicians and industry professionals dedicated to promoting “all things and all era’s and styles of progressive rock music” exists – the social network – Power of Prog.
Power of Prog was launched September 2009 by a grassroots independent label Melodic Revolution Records which specializes in Prog but also works with other genres of music. The site name carried over from a 2008 Prog Festival hosted by the label. The idea of a prog social network came to founder, Nick Katona back in early 2009 after becoming frustrated with having to go to various sites to fill his prog needs.
Though there are a lot of great Prog websites out there, Power of Prog hosts personal profiles of bands, music lovers and writers making it so easy to share experiences and music. Reading about other people’s experiences really gives someone strength and guidance in a very competitive market and in a somewhat obscure genre of music. In comparison to MySpace music and other similar places, there are no spammers or fake followers – just people who love prog and music in general.
I want to mention just how special a person Nick Katona is. He not only launched Power of Prog (and keeps it ad and spam free) but also is founder and president of Melodic Revolution Records which as his site reads:
“Brings together musicians, artists, and every day people to keep the inspiration and imagination of the arts alive. The telling of a story through a song or art has an impact and long lasting effects in our daily lives. We try to promote these effects in hopes that people will continue to use music to learn, entertain, inspire, and open new doors in their lives.”
Nick, who has been in the music business for over 30 years, has scouted out many unknown and independent artists from all over the world and given them a chance to produce and distribute their works. Some of my favorite artists like Corvus Stone (Avant Garde Prog), Murky Red (Rock), Oceans of Time (Symphonic Power Metal), Andy John Bradford’s Ocean5 (Progressive Folk) and The Minstrel’s Ghost (Progressive Rock) – I would have never had the chance to hear if it weren’t for Nick’s efforts in getting their music distributed.
Most of all though, I want to thank Nick for taking a chance on me and playing my music on the radio for the first time on his show as DJ Revolution on AiiRadio.net.
Nick hosts 3 or more shows a week.
“The Late, Late Night Early Morning Show” Playing the best of Melodic Rock and Hard Rock & AOR
Every Wednesday: 5pm to 8pm (EST) 10pm to 1am (UK) 11pm – 2am (CET) – 2pm to 5pm (PST)
“The Friday Crunch” Keepin it Metal
Every Friday: 11am to 3pm (EST) 4pm to 8pm (UK) 5pm to 9pm (CET) 8am to 12pm (PST)
“The Sunday Chill” Playing everything from Prog, Rock, Jazz, Pop & Blues by women that make a difference.
Every Sunday: 10am to 12pm (EST) 3pm to 5pm (UK) – 4pm to 6pm (CET) 7am to 9am (PST)
He played my songs (to my great surprise) one night on “The Late, Late Night Early Morning Show” and ever since then the ball has been rolling. Many of my fans have tuned into his show and are hooked now. It is one of the most original radio shows around and as one fan said, “Nick’s show made me want to listen to music again.” He chooses an amazing collection of songs!
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