Had an interesting chat recently with a music industry friend about digital apps.  I had noticed that the apps for the Apple platform tended to make good use of real-world simulation. Apps like Amplitude and their e-books library which display backgrounds and elements with near life-like quality.  And why not – the devices they run on now can display a degree of detail and colour range that would make older game developers weep.

It makes me wonder why people don’t do it more.  Sure everyone wants style, but there’s something that tickles people about seeing something they are familiar with in the real-world represented closely in a virtual experience.  Mostly it creates an emotional connection, which if I am not wrong is king in today’s brand-centric market.

So I commented to my music producer/artist friend Tony that as far as apps go – I miss the feel of a good turn-table light.  Gimme that. It would take me back to times I can barely remember just before vinyl made its exit; when we all sat in the low light at parties listening to cool tunes, happy to enjoy the rythm of the irregular “bumps” of the spinning album and stylus head – and that blue electric glow of a strobe-light projected on the side of the turntable base.

We don’t need those things anymore – as much as we dont need to see a CD spinning through a plastic window on a player, but it makes a connection back to the physical world and people seem to like that.  But with the progression to true solidstate, I wonder if there will be much left of the medium to connect to.  It’s not likely to awaken the same sort of memories,  like of that girl at the house party in the plaid shirt I wanted to dance with in the soft light created by the turntable and glowing amp meters.  Funny what a little physical connection can do.

DM