Robert Fripp sells out!

[siberian khatru]

Sort of. Actually, it's kinda neat.

http://www.cinescape.com/0/editorial...6&obj_id=50470



New Windows Vista To Feature Sounds Courtesy King Crimson’s Robert Fripp

Dateline: Friday, January 20, 2006

By: RANDALL LARSON
Columnist

King Crimson guitarist Robert Fripp visited Microsoft's campus recently to record sounds that could be used in the forthcoming version of the company's flagship Windows operating system. A Microsoft website posting (see URL below) shows a dark, 25-minute video clip of Fripp recording ethereal sounds that, the posting says, could be used for the audio cues found in Windows.

Fripp is an electric guitarist noted for his ability to generate futuristic, electronic sounds from his instrument. From the evidence on the video posted on Microsoft's web site, “Behind the scenes at [the] Windows Vista recording session,” he's shooting for aural effects that wouldn't have been out of place in the movie. 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY, according to one writer at USA Today.

"They don't just want it to look good, they want it to sound good, too," said Joe Wilcox, senior analyst at Jupiter Research, in USA Today. "Why have the boring PC 'beep' when even the basic sounds of the operating system can be an experience?"

Fripp is an old mate of veteran synthesist Brian Eno - the man responsible for the Windows 95 “startup sound.” Eno was reportedly paid $35k for his contribution to the advancement of computing, so we can hazard a guess as to how much Fripp will have trousered for his efforts.