We never need much of an excuse to feature our old friend Brett Domino on MusicRadar, but when he and regular collaborator Steven Peavis show up using a new musical instrument to cover OutKast's Hey Ya!, we've definitely got a good one.
Designed primarily for special needs music, music therapy and inclusive education, The Skoog is a soft, square, device that features five touch-sensitive surfaces (including five large coloured buttons). Each of these can be used to trigger a different type of sound; a range of physically modelled instruments is included for you to pick and choose from.
All the processing is done in software - The Skoog hooks up to your Mac or PC via USB - and the fact that there are sampling options means that you can use pretty much any sound you like.
We can certainly see the benefits of The Skoog, and because it can also work as a standard MIDI controller, it may have the potential to transcend its original target market. It costs £500 - find out more on the Skoogmusic website.
