The new project is described as a “custom sample mashing app.”
Designed by Richard James – aka Aphex Twin – and built by engineer Dave Griffiths, the pair has been working on Samplebrain for the past two decades. In a detailed blog post, James explained that the idea for the sound design software came to him “when mp3s started to become a thing” and was inspired by Shazam.
“I had originally contacted the founders of Shazam to discuss further creative uses of their genius idea,” James wrote, “but they were busy making an automatic dj program, I still think Shazam could be re-purposed for something incredible but in the meantime we have Samplebrain.”
Griffiths, who is also the founder of non-profit organisation Then Try This, explained that, “Richard mentioned an idea he had about something like a giant brain that you could feed samples to. If you gave it enough, it would be able to take all the right bits to recreate a new sound you fed it.”
Try Samplebrain for yourself here.
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Read: Aphex Twin’s Mask Collapses.