“Beyond Life and Cosmic Kinetics”: Ron Jarzombek Releases New Song As Interactive Multitracking App

Record labels and musicians struggle to find new ways to make fans want to actually buy their music, often throwing merch and bonus tracks into the package to sweeten the deal. But props to Ron Jarzombek of Blotted Science, WatchTower, and Spastic Ink fame, for coming up something that’s really cool, fairly unique, and still reasonably priced.

The guitarist has teamed up with iOS programmer Oleg Kolokolov to release a new song, “Beyond Life and Cosmic Kinetics,” as six track interactive iPhone/iPad app. Explains a press release:

“The app features a volume control for each track, and on each track is a push button switch that alternates between two parts/instruments that are playing simultaneously. The user has the ability to mix and match all recorded parts. This isn’t just a matter of listening to a released song, it’s direct interaction!”

This isn’t exactly a new idea — Lamb of God and Nine Inch Nails (and possibly other artists of whom I’m not aware) have both released individual tracks for fans to play with in the past — but it is, to the best of my knowledge, the first time it’s been done as an app. And while you might think Jarzombek would be asking for a heftier-amount-than-usual for the app, he’s only charging ninety-nine cents, the same price as downloading any other single from iTunes.

Watch a tutorial on the app below. You can download it here.