Artist Jean Shin’s Sound Wave is one of the first pieces to be exhibited at The Museum of Arts and Design at 2 Columbus Circle in New York City.

The exhibit opens tomorrow. More information on the The Museum of Arts and Design.

Apple has announced a media event for next Tuesday, October 14th, to announce new additions to the MacBook lineup.

Current rumors include a budget MacBook in the sub $1000 price range, and a revamp of the pro line with slimmer cases and enhanced gesture touchpads.

Although, many Apple fans have been clamoring for a touch screen MacBook Tablet, analysts have speculated that Steve Jobs will not debut a model of this nature at the event.

The folks at Fabric are readying their new super club, Matter, a three floor, 32,737 sq.ft, 2,600 capacity venue at The O2 arena (aka Millennium Dome). Matter is designed to offer an advanced new proposition for both live music and club nights by infusing the latest technology.

The scale and scope of ambition is something that can only be grasped upon entry. The huge stage on the ground floor can be seen on all sides from any of the three floors of the venue, including from the skyscraping Sky Bridge that spans the open space on the top floor. This is the first live venue project for renowned architects Pentagram and they have created a build that is as imaginative in its design as it is architecturally sympathetic to its surroundings. 2,000 people at a time will be able to view artists on stage from pretty much anywhere in the venue’s main area and still feel a sense of intimacy because of the triple height space opened up right through the centre of the main room.

Far below the soaring ceiling sits the interactive dancefloor, built by Djenerate, using cutting edge technology to create a Body Kinetic experience never before felt in any venue the world over. 80 super powerful transducers on steroids sit beneath the dancefloor, reacting to bass frequencies and pumping the sound through every dancer’s body. It’s the next generation beyond the Body Sonic dancefloor developed for Fabric nine years ago, embracing every advancement in sound technology that has since come to play.

Radiating out from the dancefloor is a video projection system — world class VJs Inside-Us-All and software specialists Pixel Addicts have developed a bespoke projection system which will effectively ‘map’ the architecture of the building, reading every flat surface to conjure images in harmony with the angles of the building, creating a totally immersive sculptured visual environment. Included within this development is a unique horizontal projection screen system spanning the space either side of the Sky Bridge, creating a spine to both complete and modulate the space as a whole.

Walls, floors, DJ booths, bars and tables are all concrete, albeit many different shades and finishes. The atmosphere and look of the venue is further enhanced via clever deployment of complementary materials and the latest LCD and lighting technology. For a more relaxing experience away from the dancefloor special guests can enjoy themselves on the third floor, which can even operate as a separate space with its own entrance.

More information on Fabric.

M-Audio has teamed with Public Enemy and Obey to host a remix competition. The Public Enemy Remix Contest challenges musicians to create an original remix of an a cappella version of the group’s track, “Harder Than You Think,” from their current album. Chuck D and Johnny Juice of Public Enemy will judge entries uploaded to the M-Audio website, and the winner will receive a complete home studio setup from M-Audio.

The winning remix will also be released on 12-inch vinyl by Obey Records. Backed with an exclusive unreleased Public Enemy track, the vinyl release will feature unique artwork created by graphic artist Shepard Fairey. All profits from the vinyl sale will be donated to the Boys and Girls Clubs of America.

Prize Package:
» M-Audio Home Studio
Package includes Studiophile BX8a Deluxe monitors, Pro Tools M-Powered software, ProjectMix I/O control surface, Sputnik vacuum tube condenser microphone, Pulsar II Matched Pair condenser micro phones and Ozone 3 mastering software (valued at $4,500).

» Limited-Edition 12″ Vinyl Release by Obey Records
The wining remix will be officially released on Obey Records and sold through Obey’s distribution channels. Shepard Fairey will design an original label; 500 pieces will be produced, with all profits donated to the Boys and Girls Club of America.

» Complete Set of the Obey Public Enemy Collection
Collection includes two different t-shirts, a military-style jacket, a hooded sweatshirt, three different hats and lace locks (valued at $500).
 
The contest will run until September 30, 2008, with the grand-prize winner announced in late October.

More information on The Public Enemy Remix Contest.

The Dark Knight, the second installment of Christopher Nolan’s new Batman series, is not only a visual feast, with eye-popping action sequences and gorgeous cinematography, but is an absolute treat for the ears.

Sound design in super-hero movies is often stellar, but The Dark Knight is above and beyond anything that has come before it, and is one reason why this movie is enjoying unprecedented Box Office returns. (Batman is the first film to hit $300 million at the box office in just 10 days –Ed.) One reason that the sound design stands out is that Nolan has scaled back the amount of background music in this installment of Batman for a more palatable realism. Instead of overblown music swells during dramatic moments, Nolan and James Newton Howard decided to use slow-building, grinding, virtual analog filter sweeps to create serious tension.

The reduction of grandiose background music also allows the sound effects to leap out of the screen and smack you in the forehead. (It’s mandatory to see this film in a proper surround sound theater, or IMAX, if available. –Ed.) Richard King, the film’s sound designer, certainly rose to the occasion and has delivered a tasty blend of hard hits, explosions and environmental details that leave the audience literally out of breath. Oscar-worthy work without a doubt.

Although Heath Ledger has gotten most of the focus for his deliciously demented role as The Joker, it’s Christopher Nolan who deserves all the praise and should receive an Oscar nomination for his outstanding work. Nolan seamlessly helms the directing, acting, special effects, sound and story with such savvy craft that the viewer doesn’t even realize how well everything is working in concert – until, of course, they wonder why the film has haunted them for days…

Thirty attendees of the Aquamarine Music Festival in Moscow, Russia were blinded by a powerful Laser lightshow. Russian news agencies reported that some people lost up to 80 percent of their vision after attending the event on July 5.

Twenty people are undergoing treatment in Moscow hospitals, said Elena Grishina, the head doctor at the Moscow Ophthalmological Hospital, the RIA-Novosti news agency reported Monday. “The treatment is not very pleasant. It involves a lot of needles,” Grishina said. “But all the patients are in optimistic spirits, and we are hoping for a good result.”

According to the reports, concertgoers said the festival’s dance floor was covered by a canopy because it was raining. The lasers were pointed horizontally under the tent instead of into the sky, which led to the injuries, the reports said.

“After five or ten minutes on the dance field, I couldn’t see anything,” a young man in sunglasses identified as a concertgoer said on NTV television. “I could see out of my left eye, but my right eye is all fog.”

The broadcast showed video from the festival recorded by cellular phones, one of which appeared to burn out when a laser shone on it. The festival was held in the Vladimir region east of Moscow, where promoters often hold open-air one-offs on large fields.

The injured concertgoers plan to take legal action against the festival’s organizers. A representative of the Vladimir regional government said the festival was organized illegally without proper permits. Most of the injured concertgoers sought treatment at two Moscow hospitals.