Pitchfork

Japanese sound sculptor and Thrill Jockey recording artist Nobukazu Takemura has recently completed audio designs for the latest addition to Sony's AIBO robot dog family. Takemura lent his mastery of musical timbres to the project, resulting in diverse emoting and speech simulating capabilities for Ol' AIB. AIBO LM was developed in conjunction with famed animator Katsura Moshino, who designed the techno mutt's physical aspects and gave it its "softer, cuddly" look. Sony is currently taking pre-sale orders for the product which, at $850, is available at roughly one-third of its predecessor's price.

Takemura is also working on a new full-length record for Thrill Jockey, due January 15th. Entitled Sign, it features four songs spanning over an hour's length. Two of the tracks, committed to tape in Chicago, feature contributions from labelmates Tortoise and Pullman. The aforementioned "it" animator of the moment, Katsura Moshino, also contributes to the record in the form of a ten-minute animated short. According the press release, the little film "pits the peace loving environmentalists against the evil death mongering Barons of industry." No, not that Red Baron pizza guy who snuck in through the oven and seduced your mom.