Auto-tune, once viewed as a gimmicky, niche vocal processing technique, has become a popular, widely accepted audio effect. Cutting edge, tasteful application of auto-tune has been lauded and accepted in various modern genres.
Artists like Cher, T-Pain, Kanye West, and Charli XCX have pushed auto-tune and other vocal processing techniques to the forefront of popular music.
Like these aforementioned generational musical talents, a trio of cats is taking auto-tune to previously unexplored frontiers. Fortunately for us all, they’ve shared a little peek into the studio.
Warning: images of incredibly cute kittens incoming!
A recording engineer, assumedly, places an adorable kitten on a platform next to a microphone and pop filter. They’re clearly in a recording studio, surrounded by acoustic foam and audio gear.
Music must be made, of course. It’s certainly not going to make itself!
The serene piano tones of South Korean-British composer Yiruma’s “River Flows in You” start, but with an incredible twist…
Every note’s layered with an auto-tuned cat meow.
Yes, you read that correctly. These cats have clearly taken music to new heights. But have they gone too far? I’m not sure they’ve gone far enough.
Another cat takes the mic, making an auto-tuned entrance perfectly in rhythm with the piano.
The adorable kitten looks forward, balancing as it vocalizes into the mic.
Auto-tuned meows supplement the majesty of Yiruma’s flowing piano.
The sonic result is genuinely engaging and adorable.
So what is auto-tune?
Well, it’s a vocal processing technique that “pitch corrects,” meaning the pitch and frequency of your vocals (it doesn’t always have to be vocals!) “snaps” to specific frequencies and notes. So the vocalist’s pitches will automatically shift to the nearest pitch defined by the auto-tune software or equipment.
The technique’s been around for decades, finding widespread popularity originally in Cher’s anthemic pop hit “Believe.”
Perhaps unsurprisingly, recording the kittens wasn’t exactly easy.
You have to sing into the mic!
But let’s give them a pass, this is their first time.
“Meow!”
That’s textbook form right there.
Another cat lets out an elongated, almost operatic vocalization,
“Meooowww”
They’re holding absolutely nothing back. This is the Sarah Brightman (a renowned opera singer) of cats!
The cat trio comes together in harmony.
One kitten’s cute enough, but three?
They’re smothering us with cuteness.
A cuddly kitten opts to bite the microphone’s pop filter.
These are experimental, cutting-edge cat vocal techniques, surely.
Each kitten takes turns inspecting the microphone equipment to the sound of Yiruma’s magnificent opus.
“River Flows in You” is a popular modern classical piano piece that even makes an appearance in the Twilight saga.
The trio continues to belt their auto-tuned meows.
They’re ridiculously photogenic without even trying.
These might be the most vocally talented kittens ever. They should be signed to a record deal immediately or at least consider producing their own material.
This could very well be the cutest recording session in history.
The piano-cat combo fades out, followed by one final, unaccompanied, unprocessed meow – the proverbial cherry on top.
These cats are trailblazers, performing the first cat auto-tune reworking of Yiruma’s legendary “River Flows in You.”
I’m eagerly awaiting their next release. I wonder if they’re going to take their songwriting in another direction.
So what do you think of these incredibly talented, cute kittens? Should they make an album?
Definitely check out the entirety of their hilarious, auto-tune studio session below. It might be the cutest thing you see all day!
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