"There are three Peter Grenaders. The first one is a renowned composer, whose works have secured wins at several festivals all over the world and whose artistic friends include some of the greatest names from the field of electronic music: Morton Subotnick, Steve Roach, Barry Schrader and many others. The second one is an instrument designer and Head of Plan B, a company producing modular analogue synthesizers. This Peter Grenader enjoys the immediate interaction between these machines and the performing musician, the way in which they allow a composer to have his instruments really do what he wants them to. Customers of his have included Nine Inch Nails and the Red Hot Chilli Peppers - again among many others. The third and final Peter Grenader is a former student at CalArts, now, retrospectively, probably considered the most important faculty of experimental media in the USA at the time. With stars like Harold Budd and John Cage working closely together with students, this was an exciting era of departure, of fresh beginnings and of discovering new technologies, timbres and tools. As a CD project and a string of new Plan B products are approaching, the first and second Peter Grenader are sure to make headlines soon. But until then, we're sitting down for a chat with the last one, talking about the "good old times" and life as a student at CalArts in the 70s."click here for the full interview on Tokafu.
3 PG's!
ReplyDeleteJesus H. Christ.
I've twice gotten myself in trouble this week re two people with the same name, and now this.
What's a dolt to do?!?
its just an expression. there is only person but 3 sides
ReplyDeletesteven
ok there again...
ReplyDeleteSteven, I guess comment no.1 was a joke... But it's cool to be willing to help people like me who are not native english speakers(no offence -daddio- if you are :P)
Anonymous comment no.2...
well there it is... you ARE ANONYMOUS!!!
Tataaaa!
Kakihara,
ReplyDeleteNope, no joke, I was totally taken in by the 3 faces of PG bit. I ain't afraid to admit it. Why just the other day I confused one Steven Jones with another.
cue: "Once Bitten, Twice Shy" - Mott the Hoople
why is this posted here? shameless ego boost. i agree - renowned - that's some claim.
ReplyDelete"why is this posted here? shameless ego boost. i agree - renowned - that's some claim."
ReplyDeleteI don't know anything about his music but his modules sure are great!
Anonymous said...
ReplyDelete"renowned composer" my arse. in his own lunchtime perhaps."
Hey dikhead look at his is credits. I'm in SEAMUS it's not easy to get accepted to their National Conference and an evening performance there is a highest mark you can earn. Three music international festival wins. The GMEB, plus he spends his time now making instruments so jealous asses like you can tear him down for doing it. He's active on matrixsynth so cool, you fuc with him where he sees it. Class move. I agree with the what have you done comment. Nothing but shit on others that do no doubt.
Why is it posted here? Because it's interesting. Did any of you cowards actually read it?
"why is this posted here?"
ReplyDeleteso people like me can maybe learn something from an accomplished synthesist
"shameless ego boost. i agree - renowned - that's some claim."
I hold his chops in high regard. I know there are many others that feel the same. This is an indisputable fact. ymmv
btw, your ignorance is showing.
Grenader didn't write the renowned composer comment why are you blaming him for it? I agree you seem jealous.
ReplyDeleteGodammit can there be one posting on this blog without the flaming? This is getting old.
ReplyDelete-daddio- is right, we can all learn something by READING this article, not just looking at it...
ReplyDeleteBeing an Electroacoustic music student myself, all I can say is that i'm rejoycing in reading such things, it's educative, encouraging but also utmost inspiring... you lunchtime anonymous should maybe go back eating your crackers before lunchtime is up...
Great article, I enjoy these pieces with historical info.
ReplyDeleteRe: the troll
13 comments so far, about half responses to two trolls.
Have some self-control.
Ignore the trolls. If your only comment is with regard to the troll, your content is bad as the troll. And yes I realize this comment is itself borderline
i love Peter G....oh hang on thats Kenny G
ReplyDeleteGreat article. I always picture Grenader, Chang, Schrader et al in Next Generation uniforms. Is that wrong?
ReplyDeleteSeriously, so much is written about the era just prior to that, i.e. Cologne, Columbia-Princeton, San Francisco Tape Center. There is very little about the follow-up to those original trailblazers.
Subotnick was a genius to keep the analog thing going at CalArts into the 70's, because it gave the genre a chance to develop. It seems as if the rest of academia was so busy chasing down computer technology that they dropped the ball in developing the beautiful art that started out as "Electronische Musik" and eventually became analog tape pieces. It's a major casualty of art that allies itself too closely with technology.
The real elephant in the room in the 70's & 80's was that analog sound generation sounded a lot better than digital. The "serious" composers were so wrapped up in process that they lost sight of sound quality. Strange from a lineage of Western classical music that produced warm sounding instruments for hundreds of years.
Another interesting, fresh nexus of the 70's was Bell Labs. Those guys (and gal) were also a bit out of the academic mainstream, and, like the CalArts crew, used analog sound generators, a combination of Moog & Matthews-built boxes hooked up to the mainframes. Another reason that stuff continues to be listenable decades later.
Power to Peter. I've learned a lot from the guy, both technically and musically. It's a shame there aren't more than three of him =0).
ReplyDeleteCheers,
Scott S.
He is a great composer guys. You'll see ;)
ReplyDeleteAnyone who KNEW PG in the first place would know that even if he did self post this entry, he wouldn't bother mentioning his own compositional strengths if they weren't self evident to begin with....after all, have you SEEN his modules or custom work?
ReplyDeleteNow, I for one, do not know PG.
But enough with the trolls...this is a human being here with a reputation that's been worked hard for...why even jokingly work to bring it down?
'smatta with all the anonymous asshats lately?
Shagghie said that.... ^^
ReplyDeleteIf only to keep me from accidentally posting anonymously all the time, yes, please DO ban anon posts! :p