Art ringtone silences cellphones

Artist Jonathon Keats has digitally generated four minutes and thirty-three seconds of silence for cellphone. His silent ringtone, freely distributed through Start Mobile, is expected to bring quiet to the lives of millions of cellphone users, as well as those close to them.

The ringtone is inspired by the silent interlude that another artist, John Cage, had tried, and failed, to create a silent interlude, back in 1952. Cage once famously composed four minutes and thirty-three seconds of silence, which was performed on a piano, in front of a live audience.

"My Cage (Silence for Cellphone)" dispenses with performer and piano and auditorium, instead utilizing a continuous stream of silence produced on a computer, and compressed to standard ringtone format.

While noting that Mr. Keats doesn't have a cellphone of his own, and may be less-than-qualified to make global pronouncements about them, Start Mobile CEO John Doffing believes that "My Cage" may be a platinum hit. "People want a respite," he says, "and not everybody has the time or money to go to a spa. The virtues of silence are unsung."

Related:

-- Modtones launches a silent ringtone.
-- A Ring Tone Meant to Fall on Deaf Ears.

Angling ringtones bring harmony to the riverbank

Richard Hewitt, a fisherman and the owner of Salmon Reel, a company that specialises in mobile phone ringtones, has decided to reproduce the sounds of Brass Perfect, Fortuna and Zane Grey, reports The Times.

These are not rock bands but the sounds of some of the finest fishing reels ever made, each boasting a lovingly crafted mechanism.

Mr Hardy had the idea of harnessing the soothing tones of a fishing rod in action when his daughters showed him how far ringtone technology had advanced. “One of the motivating factors was my irritation at mobile phones and the way ringtones are so intrusive,” he said.

The sounds were recorded in the museum of Hardy in Alnwick, Northumberland, where a vast collection of vintage reels is on display. Many ringtones can be downloaded free, but Mr Hewitt is charging between £3 and £5 for his via the internet, with some of the proceeds going to the North Atlantic Salmon Fund, a conservation body.

Salmon Reel’s other ringtones include the songs of the sparrow, lark and crow, the sounds of goats, sheep and rustling woodland. There is also a selection for the keen equestrian, who can be alerted with the sounds of a neigh, a trot or a gallop.

The Crazy Frog ringtone "would make a great dance record"

As announced in February, the Crazy Frog ringtone will be released as a music single. Drowned in Sound gives the details: "Crazy Frog Axel F" will be out on the 2nd of May and blend the frog's 'vocals' and the theme tune from Beverly Hills Cop.

The single is released by German clubbing outfit Bass Bumpers, comprising Reinhard Raith and Wolfgang Boss.

Reinhard said: "The Crazy Frog ringtone was huge in Germany and I believed it would make a great dance record. It needed a melody, something to get the hands in the air, and Wolfgang suggested the Axel F record which is one of the best 'hands up' tunes ever made."

Rap's biggest star is now appearing on cell phones near you

From Gidzmodo: "Slate tackles why 50 Cent, besides topping the Billboard charts, also happens to be the most downloaded artist when it comes to cellphone ringtones. Looking beyond the most obvious cause for this - that white suburban kids think it's street to have "In Da Club" as their ringtone - Rob Walker identifies another reason: that hip hop tracks translate into ringtones better than other music". Check it out on Zingy.com.

Karaoke Ringtones

Irish technology company Alatto has developed a new java application called air.karaoke, that will let users download songs and lyrics, to create mobile karaoke machines.

Elsewhere: Another karaoke application is offered by Japanese ringtone providers, allowing subscribers to 'practice' songs. This service has been widened to include images, and users can send up to four photos which can be 'watched' while the audio clip is playing. (cf The ringtone market remains a surprise to many)

The Royal Opera of London offers ringtones

The Royal Opera of London will be offering ringtones themed around particular operas and ballets. Along with a text messaging campaign, the Royal Opera aims to broaden the appeal of opera and ballet and attract younger people, per an article in PMN.

Nursery Rhyme Ringtones

For very very young cell phone users or most likely their mothers, a place online where to download favorite nursery rhyme ringtones. Our childhood classics seem all to be there ... from London Bridge, to Mary Had a Little Lamb, Farmer and the Dell, Here we go Around the Mullberry Bush, Rock a Bye Baby, to Row, Row, Row Your Boat...

Retro Ringtones

Retro Ringtones is a producer of licensed music and sound libraries for mobile operators, but not just any producer.

Believing that a customised ringtone is more than just a way to tell your phone apart from the crowd, Retro Ringtones offers a range of pop culture fashion ringtone statements. The company's tag line, "Wicked Style on your Mobile", offers a catalogue of animal mating calls, something called ethnic world, air guitar riffs, birdcalls, infernal machine sounds and, I'm not making this up, "human debris" -- which should only be heard in the privacy of a bathroom. Other sound tracks include "great lies of history", operatic arias and robotic voices. Fun.

NFL ringtones and logos

Die-hard football fans who own a Motorola cell phone (C331 or C332), can celebrate their love of the game by downloading NFL ringtones, including a Monday Night Football theme song ("Superstar" by Johnny Pearson), as well as team logos and animated screensavers.

"Bombs Over Baghdad" ringtone

Though not what the author intended, Outkast's "Bombs Over Baghdad" is the latest song to be embraced as a pro-war anthem. The ringtone of the song is available on Globe Interactive.

Ethnic Ringtones, a niche market

Looking for Hindi ringtones? Monavi Communications, provides dozens of popular Hindi ringtones for Nokia phones, indexed by region: Assamese, Bangla, Hindi, Malayalam, Punjabi and Tamil.

Ringtones from their alma maters

Ringtones for downloading on your cell phone run the gamut of music genres, from classic and opera to jazz, hip hop, latino music, reggae, rock to religious psalms, national anthems to tv series and movie soundtracks, folk and country, even video game themes, jingles from commercials, and now college theme songs.

For a thrill every time their phone rings, NCAA basketball fans can download the "fight song" ringtone from their alma maters, the «NCAA on CBS» theme song, and what has become the unofficial championship theme song, «One Shining Moment», on Cingular.com.

College fight songs are also available from ringtone provider Zingy.com

On Cingular, fans can also download college logos, sign up for score alerts to be sent to their phones, vote on the best player in college basketball, or participate in a sweepstake, «TXT UR WAY 2 the NCAA Final 4» and win a trip to New Orleans.