The holidays are coming up soon and you may be struggling to find gifts for the audiophiles or sonic enthusiasts in your life. We have a list of ideas that we think might be of some assistance to you!

Video Games

“Sound Shapes” is only available in Playstation Network, so you’ll need to gift your favorite gamer one of these so they can download it:

Sony Playstation Network Card [Online Game Code]

Lumines: Electronic Symphony – PS Vita

Books

The Universal Sense: How Hearing Shapes the Mind

Musicophilia: Tales of Music and the Brain

Tape Op: The Book About Creative Music Recording

The Great Animal Orchestra: Finding the Origins of Music in the World’s Wild Places

Listening to Noise and Silence: Towards a Philosophy of Sound Art

Rebels on the Air: An Alternative History of Radio in America

The Unwanted Sound of Everything We Want: A Book About Noise

This Is Your Brain on Music: The Science of a Human Obsession

The Recording Angel: Music, Records and Culture from Aristotle to Zappa, Second Edition

The Rest Is Noise: Listening to the Twentieth Century

Love Is a Mix Tape: Life and Loss, One Song at a Time

Sweet Soul Music: Rhythm and Blues and the Southern Dream of Freedom

Music

The Way Out

Nuggets: Original Artyfacts from the First Psychedelic Era, 1965-1968

Eccentric Soul: The Capsoul Label

Goodbye, Babylon Box Set

DVD/Blu-Ray

Empire of the Air: The Men Who Made Radio

Sigur Ros: Heima

High Tech Soul: The Creation of Techno Music

Standing in the Shadows of Motown

Electronics

Jawbone JAMBOX Wireless Bluetooth Speaker – Black Diamond – Retail Packaging

Vers Audio E101 Sound Isolation Earphones with Mic, Cherry

IK Multimedia AmpliTube iRig

Zoom H4n Handy Portable Digital Recorder

Crosley CR8005A-OR Cruiser Portable Turntable

Crosley Solo Radio CR221 Black

Instruments

Bliptronic 5000 LED Synthesizer

Korg MONOTRON 16-Key Synthesizer

Fender Greta 120v Amp

Loog I Guitar

Moog Etherwave Build-Your-Own Theremin Kit

Odds and Ends

DIY Music Box Kit

Cassette Door/Floor Mat

Stereophile Magazine (1-year Subscription)

In our recent “Foley Follies” episode, we offered up an introduction to foley artistry. Scotty Iseri shared some information that you might find useful. If you’re curious about ways to make your own sound effects, here are some tips:

1. Let the drawers in your refrigerator be your playground
With various food types, textures, and packaging, your fridge has plenty of diverse sound options for you to utilize when making your creations.

2. Location, location, location
If you’re recording with a microphone, try placing it at different positions in relationship to your subject. You can create new sounds with the same objects depending on if you move in closer or keep your distance. If you want to use tip #1 with this tip, grab a piece of celery from your refrigerator, place the mic up close, and run your finger across the vegetable and it may sound like the hull of a boat.

3. Putty can be your best friend
Scotty recommends “fart putty” that you can easily find at many dollar stores. This putty can be tossed, squished, stretched, and utilized in a number of different scenarios. He calls it his “secret weapon.” Kids of the 90’s might remember it as “gak.”

4. Experiment
It seems like obvious advice, but the best way to find potentially useful sounds is to get your hands on different things in different places. Hit two objects against each other, move your subject to another place, and try something different.

5. Have no shame
Don’t be embarrassed about experimenting with sounds. If you’re interested in creating unique sounds you might have to put yourself in some unique situations. Have fun and enjoy the process. There’s nothing silly about that!

In Episode #1 we explore the role of sound in art with Jesse Seay’s “Mechanical Tide.” Watch the piece in action below:

Everything Sounds visits Jesse Seay’s Mechanical Tide from Everything Sounds on Vimeo.