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Amazon Music and Twitch partner to combine live streaming with on-demand listening

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Today, Amazon Music and Twitch have partnered to announce the incorporation of Twitch’s live streaming functionality into the Amazon Music app, enabling fans to engage with artists in brand-new ways and move seamlessly between live streams and recorded music. Launching today on iOS and Android, artists across the globe will now be able to connect live with Amazon Music’s more than 55 million customers across all streaming tiers. Learn more at https://artists.amazonmusic.com/live.

At a time when in-person events are limited, artists will for the first time be able to establish a real-time connection with their existing fans on Amazon Music. Artists from superstars to those emerging in their careers can now leverage Twitch and Amazon Music to engage with stadium-size audiences.

Amazon Music and Twitch are committed to developing new and improved ways to help artists engage with their fans and are excited to offer this feature to music creators. Twitch has long been at the forefront of connecting creators and fans through live streaming experiences, and Amazon Music has worked extensively with Twitch and with artists and labels to help them utilize live streaming to connect more deeply with fans, including developing innovative ways to incorporate live streaming into release campaigns; creating a virtual stage for festivals and charitable fundraising events; and providing more intimate moments for artist Q&As. This year, Twitch and Amazon Music have also worked with artists across all genres to support and produce livestreams to raise millions of dollars for COVID-19 Relief efforts including Twitch StreamAid, Willie Nelson’s Luck Reunion, and more.

Fans will have a variety of ways to discover artist live streams within the Amazon Music app, including a push notification from artists they follow when they go live on Twitch; and through Amazon Music’s new “Live” browse page. Amazon Music has also made it simple for artists to link their Twitch channel with Amazon Music, using the newly-launched Amazon Music for Artists app. Artists can visit artists.amazonmusic.com/live for more information about the feature, step-by-step visuals outlining how to connect their Twitch channel, and more.

Starting this week, fans can check out artists spanning all different genres who are taking advantage of the feature and finding new and innovative ways to connect with audiences live on Amazon Music’s Twitch channel, including:

  • The Killers’ Brandon Flowers and Ronnie Vannucci Jr. will join Amazon Music September 4th at 1PM ET to answer fan questions about their latest album, Imploding the Mirage.
  • Soul singer and storyteller Nicole Atkins will host a variety series Wednesdays at 7PM ET with performances and interviews with friends and artists including Elle King, Cut Worms and Whitney.
  • Amazon Music UK will stream the Heavy Music Awards 2020 live from the HMA’s London offices September 3, 2020 at 8:30pm BST / 3:30pm ET and feature performances from The HunnaHolding AbsenceHeart Of A CowardWargasm, Coldbones and HAWXX.
  • Capital One City Parks Foundation’s SummerStage Anywhere will stream exclusive digital performances (Tuesday’s at 7PM EST) spanning Latin, World, Hip-Hop, Jazz and more for its weekly concert series.

 

Amazon Music Introduces Highest Quality Audio for Streaming with Amazon Music HD

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Amazon Music today announced the launch of Amazon Music HD for Canada, a new tier of premium quality music with millions of songs in High Definition, and more than one million songs in Ultra High Definition – the highest quality streaming audio available –  plus a growing catalogue of 3D audio when listening on Amazon’s Echo Studio device. Starting at just $12.99/month, or an additional $5/month for current Amazon Music Unlimited subscribers (Individual or Family Plan), Amazon Music HD makes high quality, lossless audio accessible to all music fans. Amazon Music HD is now available to stream in the US, UK, Germany, Austria, Japan, France, Italy, Spain, and now Canada. Eligible new subscribers to Amazon Music can receive a 90-day free trial, and eligible current subscribers can try Amazon Music HD at no additional cost for 90 days at https://www.amazon.ca/music/unlimited/hd.

“We spoke with many artists while developing Amazon Music HD, who were excited about the potential for fans to be able to stream their favorite music, and hear it as it was originally recorded,” said Steve Boom, VP of Amazon Music. “From rock to hip-hop to classical and pop, we believe listening to music at this level of sound will make customers fall in love again with their favorite music and artists. As we usher in a new listening experience for our customers and the industry, we’re combining the convenience of streaming with all of the emotion, power, clarity and nuance of the original recordings.”

Amazon Music HD will always offer customers the best quality recording available on our service for streaming, providing an unparalleled listening experience. Legendary albums including Neil Young’s Harvest and Miles Davis’ Kind of Blue become revelatory new experiences, almost as if the listener is sitting in on these storied studio sessions. Songs like Dua Lipa’s “Break My Heart” and The Weeknd’s “Blinding Lights” are also now available in Ultra HD, revealing nuances that were once flattened in files compressed for digital streaming. A growing catalogue of 3D audio is also available via Amazon Music HD.

Neil Young has said of Amazon Music HD, “Earth will be changed forever when Amazon introduces high quality streaming to the masses. This will be the biggest thing to happen in music since the introduction of digital audio 40 years ago.”

Amazon Music HD offers customers millions of lossless HD songs, with a bit depth of 16 bits and a sample rate of 44.1kHz (CD quality). In addition, customers can stream more than one million songs in Ultra HD (better than CD quality), with a bit depth of 24 bits and a sample rate up to 192 kHz.

Amazon Music HD will play the highest quality audio the customer’s device and network conditions will support, and is compatible with a wide variety of devices, including desktop, mobile (iOS & Android), select Echo devices, Fire TV, and Fire Tablets. Amazon Music HD is also compatible with many third-party devices, including most products from Denon and Marantz with HEOS Built-in, Polk Audio, Definitive Technology, Sonos, McIntosh, Sennheiser, and many more. To learn more about Amazon Music HD, visit https://www.amazon.ca/music/unlimited/hd.

MusiCounts Band Aid Program Applications & The Canadian Music Playlist Challenge Are Now Open.

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Through offering hundreds of thousands of dollars to help keep music alive in schools, and by providing a brand new learning resource program, MusiCounts is here to support music education in this critical time of need.

 

APPLICATIONS NOW OPEN:

2020/21 MusiCounts Band Aid Program 

The MusiCounts Band Aid Program is back this year to provide schools with whatever instruments, equipment & resources they need to help keep music education thriving at their school.

From ukuleles to Powwow drums to air filters to turntables. schools can request up to $15,000 in equipment to keep music class inclusive and sustainable in these challenging times.

The final deadline to apply is November 19. Applications received before October 20 will be entered for a chance to receive 1 of 2 Peace Paragon Stage II Maple Drum kits, each valued at more than $3,000.

To learn more and get started on your application, click here.

CANADIAN MUSIC PLAYLIST CHALLENGE 

We know this fall is going to be different and difficult for music education. That’s why CBC Music & MusiCounts have teamed up to offer the Canadian Music Playlist Challenge: a national celebration of Canadian music that ANY class in Canada can take part in, regardless of what restrictions you might be faced with. Plus, by participating you could receive 1 of 10 $1,000 MusiCounts grants for your school!

MusiCounts worked with a team of educators across Canada to create this brand new learning resource. Through the creation of student-curated playlists, classes will explore Canadian music, Canadian musicians, and what it means to share musical tastes. Whether you’re teaching music in-person, or teaching social studies remotely: the Canadian Music Playlist Challenge is for you!

To learn more, to register to participate, and to download the resource, click here.

Winning at Solitaire: Skills or Luck?

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Introduction

How many games have you come across that allow you to feel the worth of winning? Solitaire may appear basic but remains sophisticated. When talking about whether gaining is about skills or luck, it might become hard to answer. Therefore, let us analyze and see what the answer is.

Strategies for Playing Solitaire Games

Klondike is the basic Solitaire game but winning the second game will not be easy. A casino easily can make sure you lose it. Here is a case study: Klondike games have 52 cards. Once you have played the first game, seven cards remain from the first game. The dealer arranges another eight cards on the table which are face-up. This implies that there are now 15 cards that you already know. The remaining ones are 21, which are face down, and another 16 on the decks. The result is that only 15 cards are available to you, and 37 are not known to you. Guessing 37 cards really is hard. Only luck can save you here https://www.solitaire-masters.com/ .

The 37 unavailable cards consist of 28 “odd” cards and 9 “even” cards. When the cards are turned over, they are either even or odd, and therefore no play. For most people, they have to cheat to gain this one. A Monte Carlo research shows that at 0.25%, only 2.5 to 10 percent of the games are unwinnable. Therefore, you will win most of the games due to your skills, but the rest out of luck, or ill-gotten.

Spider Solitaire has a loophole that makes it unwinnable in some cases. A case is whereby, when all the cards are either all odd or all even, there is no possible play. This implies that you start a new session with no skill or luck making the game more difficult to win.

When it comes to Free Cell, it is possible to gain every game. Any game that allows you to make one more move is winnable. FreeCell falls in this category. However, experts believe that one game out of 400 does not allow any moves, but the right things can make the other 399 games playable. This implies that one has to be skillful to win any of those. When you play any Solitaire game on a computer, it is predetermined as a playable one. If there are no aces on top, it means the game is unplayable.

How You Can Gain Solitaire Card Game

It is possible that many top players have practiced constantly and therefore they honed their skills. Sometimes, the secret to winning is to hold and wait for a while. If you play cards all the time, you reduce the chances to win in greatly. For this reason, the players cannot hold because the game becomes boring. The best thing to do is to have a strategy and implement it while playing the game correctly, in this case, you might win.

Let’s look at it this way, all the aces are deep in the piles and there are three cards above them. Certainly, this game is unwinnable. As good as you may be, the game of Solitaire is a great one for your memory. It teaches you to recognize and memorize the available cards as well as those that are not available.

Everyone has heard about fortune and most beginners are waiting for it, still, it can smile upon those who don’t even expect. In addition, it comes to players regardless of their skills level. The best piece of advice is to meet this welcomed guest and let it go without regret. Don’t rely on fortune completely as you’ll gamble away.

To sum up, winning in the solitaire game mostly depends on your skills, how long and often you practice, but also consider the percentage of fortune as this guest is really a sudden one.

Reasons for Playing Solitaire Game

Some people prefer spending their time around others. This is the time when they enjoy that cigar or tequila, have a rest, communicate. Some may want to spend most of their evening relaxing. Others are bored and need entertainment, or are forgetful and feel they need to train the brain. The reasons why different people decide to play Solitaire games are various.

Anyway, you can play it on any device, and due to the modern technology, even on-the-go. If you are playing the game on your PC, you will have an easy time in the beginning. There are tons of online gaming sites that offer free solitaire games, including classic Klondike as well as variants like Spider Solitaire. This can allow you to try out different versions of the classic game, learn the rules,and develop strategies as you work your way up to more difficult games. As the game becomes challenging adjusts, it could take you more time to be good at it. So, you can download the app like Solitaire Masters and sharpen your skills at your break, in a long queue, or even at the boring meeting. There is a chance you might win more on your PC or mobile device than in a real casino. The aim of casinos is to earn money and these enterprises need to make something at the end of each day. The croupier (person shuffling the cards) has your fate in his/her hands and can trick you even if you see the cards. Playing on mobile it is you who win or lose, as you take actions and implement the chosen strategy. So, it’s for you to decide where and how to play.

Conclusion

Solitaire is an exciting and smart game, so, to win it you need to have both skills and luck. If you are skilled, you can play against many opponents and win. Luck can also be on your side, but it doesn’t depend on you. The possibility of winning by skill or luck boils down to the many issues that come into play. If you’ve decided to grow your skills, play the Solitaire Masters game which will give you a great opportunity to become a real solitaire pro.

Limited Lenticular Version Of A Charlie Brown Christmas Celebrates The 70th Anniversary Of Peanuts And Vince Guaraldi’s Timeless Holiday Classic Now Available

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Craft Recordings is pleased to announce a one-time vinyl pressing of the Vince Guaraldi Trio’s beloved jazz and holiday album, A Charlie Brown Christmas, which will include a bonus lenticular print of the original 1965 album cover featuring Charles Schulz’s iconic illustration to commemorate the 70th anniversary of Peanuts.  Immediately available for pre-order or purchase, the LP has been pressed on a range of colors and picture discs for participating retailers.

A Charlie Brown Christmas, certified 4X Platinum by the RIAA in 2016, is one of the best-selling jazz albums in history, second only to Miles Davis’ Kind of Blue; and it’s no surprise—Guaraldi’s engaging score to the synonymous holiday television special has introduced generations of children and their parents to the joys of jazz music, with tracks like the instantly recognizable “Linus and Lucy,” and yuletide favorite “Christmas Time Is Here.” The album was inducted into the GRAMMY Hall of Fame in 2007 and the Library of Congress’ National Recording Registry five years later, and continues to be a perennial favorite, thanks to annual airings of the Christmas TV special.

A native of San Francisco, Vince Guaraldi became one of America’s most successful jazz artists during the course of his lifetime. Though Guaraldi’s legacy is most famously tied to his association with Peanuts, he was already an established, GRAMMY Award-winning artist by the time that producer Lee Mendelson tapped him to score the first of many animated specials based on the comic strip by Charles Schulz. In a 2003 interview, excerpted from the biography Vince Guaraldi at the Piano (Derrick Bang; McFarland Books), Mendelson declared, “There was no doubt in my mind that if we hadn’t had that Guaraldi score, we wouldn’t have had the franchise we later enjoyed.”

A Charlie Brown Christmas Tracklist:

Side A

  1. O Tannenbaum
  2. What Child Is This
  3. My Little Drum
  4. Linus & Lucy
  5. Christmas Time Is Here (instrumental)

Side B

  1. Christmas Time Is Here (vocal)
  2. Skating
  3. Hark, The Herald Angels Sing
  4. Christmas Is Coming
  5. Für Elise
  6. The Christmas Song
  7. Greensleeves

 

The Tragically Hip And Cineplex Theatres Present The Tragically Hip: The Ultimate Double Feature

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Today legendary Canadian icons The Tragically Hip announced that a special double feature of their celebrated films, Long Time Running and A National Celebration, will screen at select Cineplex Theatres across Canada. For the first time ever, starting on September 18th, fans across the country will have the chance to take in both titles at Cineplex Cinemas. A full list of Cineplex Cinemas presenting The Tragically Hip: The Ultimate Double Feature is below.

Tickets for the limited engagement screenings are on-sale now and available HERE

To commemorate the special double bill exclusive merchandise has been created and is available to purchase. Merchandise is available HERE and includes a reprint of the original Kingston concert t-shirt.

Long Time Running is a feature documentary film that follows The Tragically Hip’s iconic 2016 Man Machine Poem cross-Canada tour up until their final concert in their hometown of Kingston. The film is distributed by Elevation Pictures. A National Celebration was the final show of The Tragically Hip’s Man Machine Poem Tour recorded on August 20th, 2016 at the K-Rock Centre in their hometown of Kingston Ontario. The concert was broadcast nationally on CBC to a record-breaking audience of 11.7 million.

Critically acclaimed for more than three decades, The Tragically Hip has been at the heart of the Canadian musical zeitgeist, evoking a strong emotional connection between their music and their fans that remains unrivalled in this country.  A five-piece group of friends including Rob Baker (guitar), Gord Downie (vocals, guitar), Johnny Fay (drums), Paul Langlois (guitar) and Gord Sinclair (bass), who grew up in Kingston, Ontario, The Hip has achieved the enviable status of a band that enjoys both mass popularity with more than 10 million albums sold worldwide, as well as peer recognition through 16 Juno Awards – and the fourth-most ever for an artist – picking up their last two in for Group of the Year and Rock Album of the Year for Man Machine Poem.  Their studio catalogue includes their self-titled debut album The Tragically Hip (1987), Up To Here (1989), Road Apples (1991), Fully Completely (1992), Day For Night (1994), Trouble At The Henhouse (1996), Phantom Power (1998), Music @ Work (2000), In Violet Light (2002), In Between Evolution (2004), World Container (2006), We Are The Same (2009), Now For Plan A (2012) and Man Machine Poem (2016).  Through their career the band became a cultural touchstone in Canada; receiving the distinguished Order of Canada and even being featured on a set of postage stamps.

Playing at all of the following cinemas:

Check the Cineplex website for dates and times

 

Galaxy Cinemas Nanaimo 
Cineplex Odeon International Village Cinemas
Cineplex Cinemas Langley
SilverCity Mission Cinemas
SilverCity Riverport Cinemas
Cineplex Cinemas Coquitlam and VIP
SilverCity Victoria Cinemas
Cineplex Odeon McGillivray Cinemas and VIP
Scotiabank Theatre Winnipeg
Galaxy Cinemas Lethbridge
Galaxy Cinemas Red Deer
Cineplex Odeon Eau Claire Market Cinemas
Galaxy Cinemas Medicine Hat
Cineplex Odeon Grande Prairie Cinemas
Cineplex Odeon South Edmonton Cinemas
Scotiabank Theatre Chinook
Cineplex Cinemas North Edmonton and VIP
Cineplex Cinemas Normanview (Formerly CPX Regina)
Scotiabank Theatre Saskatoon & VIP
Cineplex Cinemas Sydney
Scotiabank Theatre Halifax
Cineplex Cinemas Park Lane
Cineplex Cinemas Saint John
Cineplex Cinemas Fredericton
Cineplex Odeon Courtney Park Cinemas
Cineplex Cinemas Winston Churchill & VIP
Cineplex Cinemas Yonge-Dundas and VIP
Cineplex Odeon South Keys Cinemas
Cineplex Odeon Ajax Cinemas
Galaxy Cinemas Barrie
Cineplex Odeon Eglinton Town Centre Cinemas
Cineplex Odeon Niagara Square Cinemas
Cineplex Odeon Gardiners Road Cinemas
Cineplex Cinemas Queensway and VIP
Galaxy Cinemas Cornwall
Galaxy Cinemas Peterborough
Galaxy Cinemas Waterloo
Galaxy Cinemas Guelph
Galaxy Cinemas Brockville
Cineplex Odeon Aurora Cinemas
Cineplex Cinemas Hamilton Mountain (Formerly SC) 
SilverCity Richmond Hill Cinemas
SilverCity Newmarket Cinemas and XSCAPE Ent. Centre
Cineplex Cinemas Vaughan
Galaxy Cinemas Belleville
SilverCity Burlington Cinemas
SilverCity London Cinemas
Scotiabank Theatre Ottawa (formerly SC Gloucester)
SilverCity Sudbury Cinemas
SilverCity Thunder Bay Cinemas
SilverCity Windsor Cinemas
Cineplex Cinemas Mount Pearl
Scotiabank Theatre St. John’s
Cinéma Cineplex Forum
Cinéma Cineplex Odeon Quartier Latin
Cinéma Cineplex Odeon Ste-Foy
Cinéma Cineplex Odeon Brossard et VIP
Cinéma Galaxy Sherbrooke
Cinéma Cineplex Quartier Cavendish
Cinéma Starcité Gatineau
Cinéma Cineplex Kirkland

Justin Bieber Announces New Single “Holy” Feat. Chance The Rapper, Set For Release September 18

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Grammy Award-winning global superstar Justin Bieber, officially confirms the release of brand-new music this Friday, as he returns with “Holy” featuring Chance The Rapper, out September 18. “Holy,” and it’s Colin Tilley-directed short film, marks Bieber’s return to the pop arena just months after “Intentions” – his 8X global platinum single featuring Quavo – reached #1 at Top 40 radio in June, his seventh career #1 hit on Billboard’s Pop Songs chart. Justin revealed the cover art and release date for “Holy” via the dedicated website JBSOON.COM.

The Justin Bieber World Tour – presented by T-Mobile – kicks off in San Diego at Pechanga Arena on June 2, 2021 and includes five Canadian dates in Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal, as well as new arena stops in New York City, Boston, Atlanta, Chicago and more. A limited number of exclusive VIP Packages are available; These exceptional offers can include an amazing selection of reserved seated tickets, custom merchandise and much more. Additionally, $1.00 from each ticket purchased will be donated to the Bieber Foundation which is committed to supporting mental health wellness.

CHANGES, Justin’s fifth studio album, debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200 in February.  Bieber’s 7th overall #1 album, CHANGES also debuted at #1 on the Billboard R&B Albums chart, a career first for him. Underscoring the global dominance of CHANGES, the album reached #1 in the UK and Canada, and clocked in at #1on Apple Music in 85 countries. CHANGES has sold 4 million album equivalents worldwide.

With over 65 million monthly Spotify listeners, Bieber has become the platform’s #1 most-listened-to artist. He has also recently surpassed an astounding 147 million Instagram followers and over 50 million YouTube subscribers, giving him far-and-away the #1 artist channel on YouTube.

Over the course of his career, Justin Bieber has amassed more than 68 billion streams and more than 68 million album equivalents worldwide.

Elton John’s Greatest Songs

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Elton John’s Greatest Songs

 

Elton John is a musical legend, with a recording career spanning over a whopping 50 years. He is remembered fondly for making plenty of music in genres ranging from soft blues to all kinds of rock.

Some of Elton John songs are etched forever in musical history and are still a part of the cultural canvas that we inhabit today.

Here are a few of Elton John’s most iconic songs in no particular order.

Mona Lisas And Mad Hatters: Honky Château (1972)

This song is from Elton John’s first record album to top the charts in the United States. The song is a lyric that impresses with its directness as well as the soul touching lyrics. The words echo with a feeling about the idea of dreams being nothing more than an illusion, and a reality that must be faced soon.

When Elton John starts the song singing “Now I know Spanish Harlem aren’t just pretty words to say”, he is talking about how he felt when he realized that New York is different from what it is romanticized to be.

Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word: Blue Moves (1976)

Elton John made this song one of the most painfully felt love songs when he first sang it in 1976. According to Bernie Taupin who collaborated with Elton John multiple times across the years, this song was the result of Elton John’s casual experimentation with his piano.

The song itself is one of the most powerful expressions in this age especially when it talks about that relatable feeling where one tries to save something despite knowing that it is already long gone. Modern lovers of music continue to listen and be moved by the beautifully expressed pathos in this song.

Don’t Go Breaking My Heart: Single (1976)

This fun song shot up to fame due to its catchy lyrics and a tune that people found that they couldn’t get out of their heads! Its success is marked by the fact that it made its way to the top charts in the United Kingdom and managed to hold that position for a month and a half.

Aside from its unique sound, this song has a fun history. It was written by John Elton and Bernie Taupin under clever pseudonyms made by Elton himself. The song itself was sung as a duet starring Elton John and Kiki Dee.

Bennie And The Jets: Goodbye Yellow Brick Road (1973)

This song is characterized as a ‘loose rock and roll’ featuring a heavy variety of R;B traits. ‘Bennie and the Jets’ thus allowed Elton John to successfully tap into a different pool of audience.

Thematically, this song is a mixture of science fiction about a futuristic band of ‘rock and roll’ automatons. Being original and intriguing it is not hard to see why this particular song became one of Elton John’s greatest hits.

Candle In The Wind: Live In Australia (1974)

Elton John moved hearts of the masses with this enchanting song, initially written to celebrate the legacy of Marilyn Monroe. After the shocking death of Princess Diana in 1997, this song was rewritten to serve as an incredibly powerful tribute to the late personage.

I’m Still Standing: Too Low For Zero (1983)

This song was an icon of the age, written and performed in the maturity of Elton John’s career. This song has long since served as a mantra for getting back up after being hurt and refusing to give up. The themes are still largely relevant to this day and age, and have been featured in many forms of media ever since.

Conclusion

I hope you enjoyed this round-up of Elton John’s most iconic hits, as much as we enjoyed putting it together.  Elton John’s songs truly stand apart in terms of originality and artistic merit, and one can’t do anything but listen to them over and over again!

 

Video: When Alice Cooper met Salvador Dali in 1973

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In 1973, Alice Cooper was invited to New York City by Salvador Dali so that he could make a piece centered around him.

Video: Musician Invents 72 Homemade Instruments

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Here’s a virtual tour of the exhibition Instruments de Nulle Part by Musiques de Nulle invented and created by musician and inventor Nicolas Bras.