Architect

In producer Denniz Pop’s old studio in Stockholm, above the mugs of coffee and overflowing ashtrays, sat a cherry red light that he would trigger when he knew he had made a hit. In the mid to late 90s, thanks to songs for the likes of Backstreet Boys, Robyn, 5ive, ‘NSync and Ace of Base, that light was rarely off. A well-known DJ on the Swedish music scene, the perpetual joker born Dag Krister Volle helped turn Sweden into a global pop powerhouse, recruiting a gaggle of young songwriters and producers, including a certain…

I’m tired of people seeing uniqueness as something that’s done in the West. It’s making our world poor if we’re just Eurocentric in our focus. If you just wait for the West to inspire, to create, and to do good in tech, what’s your added value to the world?Your designs frequently make use of natural, soft lighting. How did you come to appreciate the value of that? Something that was negative for me was sitting in classrooms where it was dark when there’s abundant sunlight outside. I didn’t like it, and I could see a way…

Intel Corp's former chief architect Raja Koduri is in talks with Hiranandani-backed data center operator Yotta for a deal for his generative artificial intelligence startup, which he said will have a big presence in India. His yet-to-be-named firm would either partner or acquire Yotta, which has data centers in the cities of Mumbai and Noida, said Koduri, whose aim is to challenge Nvidia Corp's grip on the digital movie and video game markets. The company is likely to be launched by the end of the year and will provide AI…

Image via Architectural Digest / YouTube If you’ve ever wondered about the symbolism and design behind some of the most prominent locations throughout the Star Wars universe, or just wanted to spend some time learning some cool new architecture jargon, look no further than Architecture Digest’s breakdown video on YouTube. The expert analysis unpacks the look and feel of places like Naboo, Coruscant, Tatooine, and everywhere in between, and what the buildings say about the societies contained within. Of course,…

When it comes to any professional creative endeavor, few moves are smarter than playing to your strengths. After all, any writer will tell you that “write what you know” is one of the most evergreen pieces of advice out there. James Wan is a creative that struck gold in this department, quickly carving out his bread and butter in the form of horror films starring killer dolls, with perhaps his most prominent franchise being The Conjuring, which turned the demonic Annabelle into a household name and nightmare for…

It starts with a constellation of synthesiser drones and a piano riff that sounds as if it’s being played on crystal chandeliers, and ends with a sample of smashing cups. In between, the Associates’ Party Fears Two is five and a half sweeping minutes of art-pop perfection – a song commonly hailed for the vaulting, otherworldly vocals of mercurial singer Billy Mackenzie yet every bit as much a testament to the songwriting and musicianship of multi-instrumentalist Alan Rankine.Formed by Mackenzie and Rankine between…

Thom Bell, the Grammy-winning producer, writer and arranger who helped perfect the “Sound of Philadelphia” of the 1970s with the inventive, orchestral settings of such hits as the Spinners’ “I’ll Be Around” and the Stylistics’ “Betcha by Golly, Wow,” has died at age 79.Bell’s wife, Vanessa Bell, said that he died Thursday at his home in Bellingham, Wash., after a lengthy illness. She declined to give additional details.A native of Jamaica who moved to Philadelphia as a child, Thom Bell drew upon the classical influences…

Joe Tarsia, founder of Sigma Sound Studios and chief engineer for Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff’s Philadelphia International Records, has died. He was 88. Tarsia passed away Nov. 1 in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. The cause of death was not disclosed. In collaboration with songwriter/producers Gamble, Huff, and Thom Bell, Tarsia played an instrumental role in crafting PIR’s distinctive brand of sophisticated soul, dubbed the Sound of Philadelphia. He left his imprint on a host of classic hits such as …

Photo: GizmodoHe might not have as recognizable a name as corporate executives from companies like Apple and Microsoft, but next month, Sony will be saying goodbye to Masayasu Ito, who led the hardware development on the PS4, the PS5, and some of the company’s other notable gaming devices.As reported by Bloomberg and announced by Sony in an incredibly brief press release shared this morning, Masayasu Ito, the Executive Vice President of Hardware Engineering and Operation and representative director of Sony Interactive…

Sony veteran bows out after decades-long tenure Sony Interactive Entertainment has announced that one of the PlayStation brand’s longest-running developers, Masayasu Ito, will retire from the company at the end of September. Ito’s departure was first communicated to Bloomberg, before the publisher made its own statement on the official SIE website. Masayasu Ito started with Sony way back in 1986, where he worked on the company’s range of vehicular stereo systems — back when audio equipment was the cornerstone of Sony’s…