Jožka Říhák plays the ELEKTRON - 83 drum machine / synth

Published on Jun 15, 2015 Peter Kirn

"From Brno, CZ - Synth Fest 2015, hosted by Bastl Instruments / Noise Kitchen. A one-of-a-kind instrument from Communist-era Czechoslovakia."

This is the ELEKTRON - 83 posted here. We now have some additional details on this unique system via CDM: "The Elektron-83 is the creation of Jožka Říhák, legendary in Moravia as a genius electronic instrument builder. His Syntezátor – 83 Unisono went into production, but the ELEKTRON – 83 is one of a kind. We got a live performance and demo/ explanation of the creation at Brno’s Synth Fest hosted by Bastl Instruments and their new Noise Kitchen shop in the Czech Republic.

And this thing is simply amazing.

First of all, it does so much that Jožka – now into his 70s and mostly retired from playing – was worried he wouldn’t remember everything he’d made it do. It’s really an early rendition of a workstation/arranger keyboard. It’s part organ, an analog synthesizer with loads of timbral variations. It’s also part drum machine, with a rich analog sound set that might be as at home accompanying techno as playing Czech folks songs. And it’s part effects box, with various additional processing onboard or accessible via a set of stompboxes he also designed.

It’s when you look closer at the design that you begin to realize how deep the rabbit hole goes. Some of the controls are obvious: okay, those are drawbars. But then the drawbars are augmented with switches, and knobs, and combinations of switches “unlock” other features, and then you find more knobs and more switches augmenting the other knobs and switches. If there was a spare bit of panel, he added a control. If he ran out of space for controls, he kept adding functionality anyway, by using combinations of additional switches and knobs..."

See the full post with additional pics on Create Digital Music.

ELEKTRON – 83 Custom Drum Machine & Synthesizer at Upcoming Noise.Kitchen Synth Meet

Some additional info on that synth pictured in the previous event post.

via Noise Kitchen

"Local legend Jožka Říhák will take part with his ELEKTRON – 83 combined analog drummachine and synthesizer. also his master piece Syntezátor – 83 Unisono will be present"

NOISE.KITCHEN SYNTH FEST - June 12 - 15 Brno, Czech Republic

"NOISE.KITCHEN SYNTH FEST SynthFest = tweak + listen + build + enjoy SYNTHS

Bastl Instruments, Kabinet Múz and Skleněná louka are inviting you to the first year of Synth Fest in Brno, Czech republic. Whole friday in Kabinet Múz will be dedicated to Synth Meeting where you can try and listen to many various synths from all over the world which will be presented by their own makers. In the evening the main hall will turn into a place where dance will be inevitable.

Saturday will host informal moderated brunch with Peter Kirn of Create Digital Music about the present and future of electronic musical instruments. In the afternoon the festival will move to Skleněná Louka where various synth building workshops will take their place. But mainly there will be opening of very unique synth shop NOISE.KITCHEN. The evening will be dedicated to more experimental electronic music in the basement stage. Sunday, Monday and maybe also tuesday will give a chance to build mainly (but not only) Bastl Instruments modules and synths for really crazy cheap prices!

The event is supported by the best deputy major for culture Matěj Hollan.
more info at w​ww.noise.kitchen/synthfest​or h​ttp://www.bastl-instruments.com/modular/

Program

Friday 12.6.
Synth Meet​- 11:00-21:30 - meet the makers, try out and buy crazy instruments !
(Kabinet Múz, Sukova 4, Brno)
Synth Party​- 21:30 - ??:?? - epic music ! dance inevitable ! HRTL(Cz), PROJEKT DATALINE(Se), PETER KIRN DJ SET(Us/De), MASTER CLOCK sharing (Kabinet Múz, Sukova 4, Brno)

Saturday 13.6.
Synth Talk​- 12:?? - 15:?? - talk about the future of music with Peter Kirn of CDM (Kabinet Múz, Sukova 4, Brno)
Synth Workshops​- build synths ! 14:30 - ??:?? (Skleněná louka, Kounicova 23, Brno)
Noise.kitchen grand opening​- 16:30 (Skleněná louka, Kounicova 23, Brno)
Noise.Kitchen Party​- 20:00 - ??:?? - experimental, noise, dance, ambient, electricity, love (Skleněná louka, Kounicova 23, Brno)

Sunday 14.6.
Synth Workshops​-11:00 - ??-?? - (Skleněná louka, Kounicova 23, Brno)
Bastl synth workshops​-11:00 - ??-?? - (Skleněná louka, Kounicova 23, Brno)

Monday - Tuesday 15-16.6.
additional B​astl synth workshops​if needed :) (Skleněná louka, Kounicova 23, Brno)
21.5.2015 vaclav@bastl-instruments.com

Confirmed participants:
E l e k t r o n ​( S E ) , K​ o m a E l e k t r o n i k ​( D E ) , M​ e e b l i p ​( U S / C A N ) , E​ r i c a S y n t h s ​( L V ) , B​ u r n k i t 2 6 0 0 ​( U S ) , Soulsby​(UK), G​inko Synthese​(NL), F​alafular​(NL), E​rror Instruments​(NL),​D​in Sync​(DE), B​R Laser (AT), L​.E.P.​(IT),L​OM Instruments​(SK), Jožka Říhák - E​lektron​(CZ) B​astl Instruments​(CZ), BuranElektrix​(CZ), A​utiolab​(CZ),​S​tanda Filip​(CZ), P​avel Ondračka​(CZ),​P​avel Richtr​(CZ)
Still considering participation:
E n d o r p h i n e s ​( A T ) , A​b s t r a c t D a t a ​( U K ) , X​a o c D e v i c e s ​( P L ) , B​e f a c o ​( E S ) , A​D D A C S y s t e m ​( P T ) , T​e e n a g e E n g i n e e r i n g ​( S E ) , G​i e s G i e s k e s ​( N L ) , A​l w i n W e b e r - C i r c u i t C i r c l e ​( D E ) , P​r a s e S y n t h ​( C Z )"