Kitten Music 😻🎹
📹: raameses pic.twitter.com/GKh3GoWEG9
— Emergency Kittens (@EmrgencyKittens) April 3, 2018
A young savannah cat – at least we think it’s a savannah and not an actual serval – playing on the piano. We think the music actually makes for a great introduction, perhaps the start of a theme and variations.
Seen via Emergency Kittens on Twitter. We think the cat’s name is raameses.
This “moggie” has found a nice warm resting place atop this Moog synthesizer. From Campbell Dye via Facebook.
We’re pretty sure the Moog in question is a Subsequent 37 😺 [CORRECTION: It’s just a “plain old Sub 37”. They do look alike.]
The Matzoh Man returns for Passover on CatSynth TV, this time accompanied by a Minimoog, Roland VP-03 vocoder and our trusty Nord Stage EX.
The Dayenu song is a tradition on Passover. The word dayenu approximately translates to “it would have been sufficient” and is used as a phrase of gratitude for each of the miracles recounted in the Passover Hagaddah.
Chag Pesach Sameach!
Cat with Roland JP-8000 synthesizer. Submitted by Pedro Vieira via our Facebook page.
The JP-8000 was released in 1997 as virtual analog modeling synths came into vogue. In addition to modeling the sound, it sported full front panel of sliders and knobs reminiscent of Roland’s classic analog synths. I was more enamored with the follow-up module, the JP-8080, which I got to try out at AES in 1998, the same year I delivered a paper on an analog modeling technique. One can draw a line from these instruments to the Roland JP-08 Boutique Synth, which we often play at CatSynth HQ.
Our new pal Mr. Maximillion is enjoying some lap time in the studio.
Submitted by his human Charles Whiley via Facebook. That is one contented cat!
Identification of the synths left as an exercise to the reader 😺
Cat playing the organ [Walters, W. 438, 15th c.]. Posted by Damien Kempf on Twitter and spotted by astute reader @endlessscribe.
The image comes from a 15th century prayer book in the collection of the Walters Museum based in Baltimore. From the museum’s digital library:
This late fifteenth-century Prayer Book was made for the Use of Rome and illuminated by followers of Willem Vrelant of Bruges. The manuscript was probably created for the couple depicted in two full-page miniatures (fols. 13v and 103r). The representation of the bride in the full-page miniatures, as well as references to her in suppliant prayers, indicates that the manuscript was commissioned primarily for the bride’s use. Further evidence of this is the prominence of women throughout the illuminations and drolleries, from one who was caught in adultery being brought before Christ, to Veronica extending her veil to Christ as he carries the cross. The decorative aspects of the manuscript stray from the typical border designs of this time period, focusing more on illusionistic Ghent-Bruges’ illumination (post-1475) and less on the Vrelant acanthus-floral borders. Among the number of full-page miniatures, fol. 229v stands out as an exceptional example of an imitation of a late fifteenth-century panel painting.
Interestingly, I did not see the cat among the includes samples.
Carmen returns with her Moog DFAM (Drummer from another Mother), courtesy of Julia More, aka The Synth Witch. And yes, this is clearly her DFAM 😸
You can all of Carmen’s appearances on CatSynth via this link.
This is such heartbreaking news. Bento, the Keyboard Cat has passed away 😿
His humans made this wonderful tribute to Bento and his legacy, including many classic clips; and a sweet story about how he was a source of inspiration for his human companion, Charlie Schmidt.
Bento was actually the second Keyboard Cat. The original, Fatso, also lived with Schmidt but passed away in 1987, long before the age of internet memes. You can read more about the story of Fatso, Bento, and Schmidt at the Keyboard Cat Wikipedia page. Like my cats, Bento was a shelter cat and became a public face for the Shelter Pet Project. We saw him featured in billboards and bus stops here in San Francisco.
Keyboard Cat has always been a favorite of mine – how could it not, given the combination of interests. We always had fun with the early “play him/her off” videos, and it became a frequent tag-line of mine to say “You have been played off by the Keyboard Cat”, especially when someone loses a political election. I wish we had been able to cross paths in person.
We at CatSynth extend our sympathies to Charlie Schmidt and the rest of Bento’s family. Rest in peace, Keyboard Cat, you have been played off. 💕
A cat contemplates a sofa full of synth pillows by softmachines. We can only imagine what happens next 😸
Softmachines makes pillows and cushions based on classic electronic musical instruments. For more, visit their shop. These are so cute, we need one at HQ.
