The free RjDj app is fun, but it’s the kind of fun that fades as soon as you get a phone call, remember that your laundry needs to be moved to the dryer, or get hungry for dinner. That snap of the finger back into reality kind of bursts the awesome bubble of this app, making it feel like a video game you’re wasting your time on.
Here’s how it works. There are different scenes to choose from; scenes are also kind of like songs, or at least they coincide. Each scene is like a game with rules, a goal and a reward of some sort. (The reward in most of these cases may just be standalone fun). Scenes use either sound, tapping, or some shaking of the iPod/iPhone in order to activate.
With Chris McCormick’s “Can of Beats,” you can finger paint a tune on the (picture of a) can and then remove what you just did by pressing an “X” button. The “Doppelganger by Kids on DSP” scene is a “musical beast” you need to talk to and then listen for the answer. This scene also reacts to loud noises around you, such as passing motorcycles and pumped-up stereos.
Paul Brossier’s “Scrambler” was my favorite. This one is a record that plays a straight beat and it’s up to you to scramble and scratch it, and rotate and tilt the phone to control the vinyl.
Also, you can really easily record all the music you make, name the tracks, play them back, and then share with friends via Facebook if you so dare. Plus, there are tons of new scenes you can download for free (or for $1.99 at the most), via this app. RjDj comes programmed with three (not counting the tutorial scene).
