App Profile: REWORK_ (Philip Glass Remixed)

REWORK_ (Philip Glass Remixed) is an iOS App that takes the incredible remix album made in collaboration with Beck and gives it a feature-length interactive visual treatment.

REWORK_ features eleven “music visualizers” that take the remixed tracks and create interactive visuals that range from futuristic three-dimensional landscapes to shattered multicolored crystals, and vibrating sound waves. People can lean back and enjoy REWORK_ end to end, or they can touch and interact with the visualizers to create their own visual remixes.

In addition to the visualizers, the app includes the “Glass Machine” which lets people create music inspired by Philip Glass’ early work by sliding two animated discs around side-by-side like a DJ with turntables. People can select different instruments – from synthesizer to piano, and generate polyrhythmic counterpoints between the two melodies.

The REWORK_ app features interactive audiovisual mixes by critically acclaimed musicians and remix artists including Beck, Tyondai Braxton, Amon Tobin, Cornelius, Dan Deacon, Johann Johannsson, Nosaj Thing, Memory Tapes, Silver Alert, My Great Ghost, and Peter Broderick.

The idea for the REWORK_ album came together during a conversation between Philip Glass and his friend and new collaborator Beck. The pair recruited producer Hector Castillo (David Bowie, Björk, Lou Reed) to help assemble a collection of remixes of Glass’ works by a list of critically acclaimed artists including Beck himself, Tyondai Braxton, Amon Tobin, Cornelius, Dan Deacon, Johann Johannsson, Nosaj Thing, Memory Tapes, Silver Alert, Pantha du Prince, My Great Ghost and Peter Broderick.

To complement the album, app developer Snibbe Studio (creator of Björk’s Biophilia app) created the REWORK_ app to give fans an interactive musical experience.