The Nest: Album Release Hidden In A Rock

First there were vinyl records, then came cassettes, CDs, those failed audio-on-DVD formats, and then downloads. To quote the band, [Bateleur], “you can’t pay someone to take a CD these days.” So how do you release your new album? By hiding a Raspberry Pi in a semi-transparent fake rock on a mountainous cliff, and requiring a secret whistle to enable it, naturally.

Once activated, you’ll be able to plug into the USB port and download the album, or sit there on a remote hillside cliff overlooking the ocean and enjoy the new tunes. Because there’s a headphone jack in the rock, naturally. Besides being a cool hack, we think that putting people in the right physical and mental space for a serious listening is brilliant. Watch the video embedded below for an idea of the making of and a view from the site.

Anywhere else, this would be the coolest album release ever. But this is Hackaday, and we rate it neck-and-neck with this EP released as files for a laser cutter that you’re supposed to cut yourself. What will y’all think up next?

31 thoughts on “The Nest: Album Release Hidden In A Rock

  1. I’d like to know how it was vandalized… Was the whole thing stolen? Stuff jammed in the USB/Headphone port? Someone charge their phone off it and just kill the battery completely?

  2. No matter what the method of vandalism, it is a profound commentary on the nature of humans that something on the side of a mountain accessible only by climbing would be swiftly vandalized. It brings me to the Terry Pratchett’s observations on mankind:

    “Some humans would do anything to see if it was possible to do it. If you put a large switch in some cave somewhere, with a sign on it saying ‘End-of-the-World Switch. PLEASE DO NOT TOUCH’, the paint wouldn’t even have time to dry”.

    You’d have some bugger leaning on it within fifteen minutes telling you ‘I just wanted to see what would happen.’

    1. It’s profound commentary on the nature of humans that they felt it was OK to vandalize a nature trail by chiseling into some rock and installing a bunch of electronics.

      Generally speaking people who use nature trails the most are trying to get away from technology, noise, commercialism, etc. It’s not remotely surprising at all that their stuff was removed.

  3. That’s really unfortunate that someone destroyed it according to other comments. This is literally the reason we can’t have nice things, rather then enjoy the wonderment, someone (that was probably in the know and set out to find this device) had to ruin a good thing for others. I just can’t fathom folks who get their jollies destroying rather than making, what a pity.

  4. After reviewing the evidence, the vandal is obvious. It’s elementary really.
    With obstacles thwarted, the first listener realized their prize was more of a punishment and tried to save humanity.

  5. If the ‘music’ with the video (and the sample on the comment link) is anything to go by I think a medal for people getting rid of that rock might be in order?

    I also don’t think the sample is really matching the surroundings at all.

    But it’s all for a large part subjective I suppose.

    1. I thought sherlock Holmes and whatnot were being a bit harsh, however, now that I’ve heard the noises the rock made, yeah that needed to be silenced like most other rocks.

  6. “You can’t pay somebody to take a CD”

    And then there’s me, who won’t buy an album unless I can get it on CD, because I’m not paying for a digital only copy that’s the same price as a CD was, and is only available in whatever arbitrary bitrate that has been decided for me to be allowed to buy it in.

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