Roli BLOCKS appear to be simple LED lights at first glance, used for decoration, but upon closer inspection, you’ll realize it’s actually a modular, multi-touch music making system. That’s right, the 4-by-4-inch Lightpad Block touchpad is an entire music studio, with each individual Block attaching magnetically to any of the four sides. Advanced musicians can attach multiple Blocks, while optional accessories have built-in buttons to change settings and build beat loops quickly during a performance. Simple dragging a finger enables you to glide between notes, bending the pitch as you slide into the next. Different sounds can be played depending on how long and hard you press down. New users can simply let the lights guide them, as in the Blocks can be set to only light up parts of the pad that are in the same scale, making it easy stay in harmony. Best of all, the music is played directly through a smartphone via a Bluetooth connection. Click here to view the first image in this week’s things that look like other things gallery. Continue reading for a viral video of a concert played entirely with ice instruments.
