Coldcut bring their Ninja Jamm music making app to Android

Already a hit on iOS, Coldcut and Ninja Tune's Ninja Jamm music making app is now available for Android devices.

This 4-track sample-based app responds to a range of touch controls (including swiping and tapping) and you can also tilt and shake your device to apply effects. The app comes with two sample packs from Loopmasters, plus two more from Coldcut and Roots Manuva.

Of course, Android still lags behind iOS when it comes to music making, and Coldcut co-founder Matt Black admits that the platform does have its limitations.

"Android latency is an issue," he says. "Most Ninja Jamm functions are not impacted too much by latency, but for the 'stabs' page one needs to develop an advanced 'Ninja' technique to anticipate the latency! All Android apps tested so far have this issue; only a few devices - mostly manufactured by Samsung - have decent low-latency hardware. It's a huge issue, much discussed by a community of Android music-heads."

The good news is that Ninja Jamm is being offered for free (though in-app purchases are on offer), so you've got nothing to lose by giving it a try. Download it now on the Google Play store.

Ben Rogerson

I’m the Deputy Editor of MusicRadar, having worked on the site since its launch in 2007. I previously spent eight years working on our sister magazine, Computer Music. I’ve been playing the piano, gigging in bands and failing to finish tracks at home for more than 30 years, 24 of which I’ve also spent writing about music and the ever-changing technology used to make it.