We just launched our first “own app” and it’s up on the app store right now — Monolith Loop. This might prompt two questions: what is Loop, and why did we make it?

Monolith Loop is an escape from the pressures of modern life, if for just a little while, to share in a peaceful little world of zen.  Like dropping musical pebbles in a pond, the ripple moves outward and chimes when they collide, reflecting back on themselves in an ever-repeating pattern. You can create ambient or melodic loops without any knowledge of music whatsoever and share them seamlessly on Twitter.

Loop shows the kind of elements we think great apps should contain — we made it to embody our philosophies of app design.

Elegance is something that embodies simplicity, purity of function, and a good design. In pursuit of that ideal, all of the key functions are on the screen at all times. There are no barriers or modes, and a simple one screen interface. We strove to make Loop effortless for the users:

• The transparent settings screen allows you to adjust the sliders and see and hear the results in real time.
• Communicating and sharing with other users is built in and seamlessly interfaces with twitter.
• The graphic design matches the quality of the sounds, providing a full-surround experience for the users.

There are a lot of building blocks of functionality in the iOS platform that are never shown in Stevenotes or press releases. We like to find those low-level tools and build them into a user accessible app. Loop uses deep features from the platform but elevates them to a level that requires no explanation. In our beta tests, the app proved popular with toddlers!

We believe that the iPhone and iPad, as mobile devices, are fundamentally different from PCs and the traditional web. Monolith Loop works in a unique way with the internet, it consumes services from twitter, but at the same time, if you come at the app from your web browser, you can also see different and unique perspectives, such as a far more in depth analysis of the shared songs and twitter feeds. We think that this sharing of responsibilities between mobile and fixed app is important to the future of iPhone and iPad design.

We hope you’ll try it out, and share your thoughts with us. Perhaps you’ll see some ideas in Loop that can apply to your projects. We’ll be eagerly watching the #MonolithLoop twitter feed to see what you come up with.