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Patatap

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Patatap
Original author(s)Jono Brandel
Developer(s)Jono Brandel
Initial releaseMarch 25, 2014; 10 years ago (2014-03-25)
PlatformBrowser, iOS
Websitepatatap.com

Patatap is a visual sound kit application with animations by computer programmer Jono Brandel and Japanese electronic duo Lullatone, consisting of Shawn James Seymour and Yoshimi Tomida.

Summary

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Patatap consists of unique palettes of colors, sounds, and shapes that are altered via the spacebar.[1][2][3] The 26 melodic and rhythmic sounds that are in each set are triggered by pressing the A to Z keys.[3] All of the sounds present a visual animation over the background when played.[3] A writer for Co.design described the audio textures as ranging from "bells and snaps to pew-pewing lasers and alien spaceship landings."[1]

Development

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Jono Brandel had been experimenting with animations serving as visuals for music "over the last couple of years," he said in a 2014 interview.[4] In October 2013, he got in touch with the Japanese duo Lullatone who conceived of making a musical instrument application that was based on visualizing music.[4] As Brandel described the intentions of making Patatap, "we [were] interested in the mixing of aural and visual senses, and wanted to bring that to a format that anyone can enjoy."[4]

In order to develop an instrument where a user with no musical abilities could create a song, Lullatone made sure all the sounds weren't "muddy if someone pressed too many buttons at once."[4] The duo initially made a set consisting of more melodic notes than percussion hits, but they figured out that "too many melodic elements made it hard to create tracks with room to breathe."[4] Thus, the final set of sounds consisted of an equal amount of thirteen melodic sounds and thirteen rhythmic sounds.[4] As Lullatone's Shawn James Seymour explained, "We just chose sounds for each set that we thought would work well together to make a song with a few random dudes thrown it to give it some spice!"[4]

Release and reception

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Before its official release, Patatap was featured at the Monarch bar in San Francisco in 2012 and Gray Area's Creative Code program in 2013.[2] Later on, Brandel and Lullatone presented the program at several conventions,[2] such as the eighteenth Japan Media Arts Festival in 2014,[5] Ableton's 2015 Loop convention in Berlin,[6] The Tech Museum of Innovation in 2014,[2] Rhizomatiks' 2014 "Super Flying Tokyo" event,[7] and the Punto y Raya Festival.[2] The app was released officially online on March 25, 2014[8] and on the iPhone OS on June 6, 2014.[9]

Publications honored the application as "addictive,"[10][11] "only the very best in procrastination,"[12] "the most fun you'll ever have with your computer keyboard,"[1] and "delightful as the first time you banged on some piano keys or clanged on pots and pans and discovered: Hey, I can make noise!"[13] Refinery29 journalist Colleen Nika stated that the charm of Patatap was that it "takes a familiar conundrum — being supremely bored in front of your computer — and saves you from backsliding into the rabbit hole of wonky cat gifs and "Which Lindsay Lohan Are You?" quizzes. Instead, it encourages you to open your browser, get free-associative, and create something."[14] She also called it superior to other digital audio workstations: "Unlike with actual music software, there's no UI logistics or performance pressure to grapple with — it's a foolproof self-destructing sketchpad for whimsical kicks alone."[14]

References

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  1. ^ a b c "Patatap Turns Your Keyboard Into A Nifty Musical Instrument". Co.design. March 27, 2014. Retrieved December 20, 2017.
  2. ^ a b c d e "Patatap". Jono Brandel Official Website. Retrieved December 20, 2017.
  3. ^ a b c "Patatap: Make trippy synaesthetic beats with your keyboard". Acclaim. Retrieved December 20, 2017.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g Van Buskirk, Eliot (April 7, 2014). "Interview: How That Amazing Patatap Music App Was Made". Evolver.fm. Retrieved December 20, 2017.
  5. ^ "Patatap". Japan Media Arts Festival Archive. Retrieved December 20, 2017.
  6. ^ "Talk: Patatap & Typatone: building A/V instruments for the web". Loop Official Website. Ableton. Retrieved December 20, 2017.
  7. ^ "Super Flying Tokyo". Rhizomatiks Official Website. Retrieved December 20, 2017.
  8. ^ Palladino, Valentina (March 25, 2014). "Patatap turns your browser into a musical animation controlled by your keyboard". The Verge. Vox Media. Retrieved December 20, 2017.
  9. ^ "Patatap". iTunes Stores (US). Apple Inc. Retrieved December 20, 2017.
  10. ^ Milk, Chris (June 30, 2014). "Patatap: the addictive art app that turns your keyboard into a music machine – interactive". The Guardian. Guardian Media Group. Retrieved December 20, 2017.
  11. ^ Levy, Karyne (June 12, 2014). "You Won't Be Able To Stop Playing This Addictive Music App". Business Insider. Retrieved December 20, 2017.
  12. ^ Vincent, James (March 28, 2014). "Are you addicted to Patatap yet? Became an electronica DJ just by tapping on your computer keyboard". The Independent. Retrieved December 20, 2017.
  13. ^ S. Robinson, Eugene (April 14, 2014). "The Pitter-Patatap of Little Beats". Ozy. Retrieved December 20, 2017.
  14. ^ a b Nika, Colleen (March 30, 2014). "Prepare To Spend Way Too Much Time With Patatap". Refinery29. Retrieved December 20, 2017.
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