The Weirdest Shit to Come Out of Silicon Valley
Weirdest Shit Out of Silicon Valley is a series from The Bold Italic documenting the bizarre news, gadgets, and developments in the tech world.
Did I need an a cappella version of the various beeps and boops that Windows computers make? Absolutely not. But did I enjoy it in a strangely satisfying way? Yes, definitely.
These strangely melodic sounds are courtesy of Korean group Maytree, who, btw, exposed me to the fact that “accapella” is NOT how you spell it #funfact.
Windows Sound effects.
The group covers two different iterations of Windows: the Vista startup theme and the Windows XP shutdown sounds, as directed by one girl’s pointed index finger. Their error message thunk replicates that 2002 horror that preempts that dreaded blue screen of death… for those old enough to remember that.
There’s something weirdly mesmerizing about this audio flashback to computing of yesteryear, and I could envisage this, perhaps, as some nerdy ASMR thing… if that wasn't already a thing (here’s some extra ASMR old-school keyboard typing if you don’t believe me).
Maytree’s bio says they’re “finding ways to make brand-new beautiful sounds with the human voice,” and they certainly don’t disappoint.
They also do a great take on the Tetris OST theme:
And their Super Mario medley is killer.
Their nerd-cappella looks like it’s a new thing for the group, as the majority of their channel is full of pop covers of Ariana Grande, Dua Lipa, and the like, which are also super impressive.
I’ve been thinking about what I’d like them to cover next, y’know, just in case they decide to take my whims into consideration. Nokia Snakes? A CD skipping? That odd combo of beeps and lights my DJI drone makes when I turn it on? The rewind sound of a VCR? Old ring tones?
How about trying this with an iPhone — here’s a handy video full of iPhone sounds, for reference, and a walk down memory lane.
Here are some more vids for you to *ahem* research/enjoy/kill part of the never-ending workday that begins and starts in the same 400-square-foot or so of space.
Thank me later. Also, isn't it nice to see people, like, hanging out IRL?
