A new app uses your movement to make music, soul singer Doug Shorts returns to the studio, and more
by J.R. Nelson and Leor Galil
Over the years the Reader has covered the comings and goings of local bands at recording playground Pieholden Suite Sound more than a few times, but the Ukrainian Village studio's most fascinating product might be the new generative iPhone music app, Chicago Avenue Moon, developed in part by Pieholden co-owner Josh Dumas. Using more than a thousand musical phrases written by Dumas and recorded by a slew of Chicago musicians (including members of Gossip Wolf faves Quarter Mile Thunder, Verma, and Mar Caribe), Chicago Avenue Moon uses data from a user's GPS location—as well as the date, time, and phase of the moon—to create a constantly evolving soundtrack for your headphones, and you don't have to be anywhere near Chicago Avenue for it to do its thing.…[ Read more ]