MORTON SUBOTNICK • SIDEWINDER • PERFORMED LIVE FROM TOOL'S STUDIO (4K)

video upload by Peter Grenader

"MORTON SUBOTNICK'S SIDEWINDER:

Part 1 : in four movements (9 minutes 45 seconds)

Part 2: in three movements (6 minutes 45 seconds)

Performed live from Tool's studio Hollywood, CA by Jill Fraser, Shiro Fujioka, Peter Grenader, Thomas Klepper

Filming/Editing: K. David

Recording Engineer: Tim Dawson

Title Graphics: Hyejin Sunwoo

Produced, arranged and mixed by Peter Grenader

Morton Subotnick's seminal 1971 electronic work Sidewinder performed live at Tool's studio in Hollywood CA on March 26th, 2023 by Jill Fraser, Shiro Fujioka, Peter Grenader and Thomas Klepper, at the invitation of Joan LaBarbara, in celebration of his 90th birthday.

The idea of an adaptation of Sidewinder has been on the radar of zZyzx Society's Jill Fraser and Peter Grenader - both CalArts alumni who worked with Subotnick, for years. The process began with an abridged orchestration drafted by Peter Grenader, where the quartet was encouraged to both replicate his soundscapes and develop more interpretative timbres for the individual parts. With that, two general rules applied:

1. Following the original gestalts using more interpretive timbres.

2. Closely replicating Mort's original timbres but taking the progression in our own direction.

The performance consisted primarily of modular synthesizers, plus previously recorded samples from those instruments triggered in realtime. Along with these electronic instruments, two stopwatches were fitted with contact mics to replicate Subotnick's original rattling timbre which begins Part 1 and Part 2.

The ensemble convened for a single 4 hour rehearsal on March 24th prior to taping two days later at Tool's studio in Hollywood CA. - a marvelous setting which afforded access to Danny Carey's 1975 vintage Buchla 200 and massive E-mu. It was recorded in multi-track through an API 2488 desk by Tim Dawson, Tool's primary technician and studio engineer. This console was originally owned by Rick James and used in the "Super Freak" sessions.

A wav file recording of this performance is available on Bandcamp at:

https://povmusic2.bandcamp.com/album/...

INSTRUMENTATION:

JILL FRASER: Prism Circuits Quasar Serge, Abelton Push II

SHIRO FUJIOKA: Eurorack Modular, E-mu Modular, Elektron Digitkat, Elektron Digitone

PETER GRENADER: Analog/Digital Eurorack Modular, Stopwatches

THOMAS KLEPPER: Buchla 200, Buchla Music Easel, Toolbox Modular


SPECIAL THANKS

Danny Carey

Skyler King/Prism Circuits

Aaron Higgins and Steve Joslin/1010 Music

Kyle Terborg

James Lewin/Synthopia

Matrixsynth

Elektron

Tim Dawson

Blair Blake

Hyejin Sunwoo

Kristi Pollard

Joan LaBarbara

Mort Subotnick: In profound appreciation for his historic contribution to art and music

LINKS:

Original Sidewinder technical notes/patch analysis by Morton Subotnick:

http://www.mortonsubotnick.com/pdfs/s...

Bob Gluck's analysis of Sidewinder:

https://newmusicusa.org/nmbx/morton-s...

Essay on Sidewinder by Snows Ov Gethen:

https://snowsovgethen.com/journal/mor...

The Secrets of Control - Peter Grenader's paper on Subotnick's use of control tracks:

https://web.archive.org/web/200809291...

Jeffrey Hanson's thesis on control tracks:

https://scholarworks.sjsu.edu/cgi/vie...

Library of Congress listing of Morton Subotnick papers:

https://findingaids.loc.gov/exist_col...

Morton Subotnick's official site:

http://www.mortonsubotnick.com/

zZyzx Society official site (Jill Fraser/Peter Grenader):

https://www.zzyzxsociety.com/

Shiro Fujioka's webspace:

https://www.instagram.com/voltagectrl...

Thomas Klepper's webspace:

https://www.facebook.com/musicbyThomasK/"