Blob Opera, reviewed

Our take

Blob Opera is a music toy from the Google Arts & Culture lab. Four colourful voices, bass, tenor, mezzo-soprano and soprano, stand on a small stage. Drag one up or down and it changes pitch; drag it forwards or backwards and the vowel shape changes. The other three follow and harmonise on their own.

The voices are built with machine learning from recordings of real opera singers, which is why the results sound richer than you would expect from a browser tab. You can record a few bars and share them, or switch to preset pieces and festive songs and simply watch.

It is short and joyful, and it needs no skill at all. It works well as a palate cleanser between other things, or with friends passing the mouse around.

A first sitting

Drag the soprano slowly from low to high and listen to the others move with her. Then try a sudden jump and a long hold, and record ten seconds you like.

Where to stop

Most people have had their fill after a few recordings, which is exactly right. Share one with a friend and move on.