The Weather Warlock - Weather Controlled Analog Synthesizer

You might remember Quintron's Singing House. It was an analog "drone synth" from New Orleans experimentalists Quintron and Miss Pussycat. The instrument was unique in that it was capable of being completely modulated by the weather. It is now called The Weather Warlock and currently streams at WEATHER FOR THE BLIND, a new website dedicated to the instrument.

Weather Warlock is also the name given to a heavy drone ritual (click through for details) which "only happens at sunrise or sunset involving zero to nine members performing sets which may last from 30 minutes to one year long."  I'm guessing the never ending Weather Warlock instrument is the one band member that continues to play endlessly all year long.

The following are some details pulled from WEATHER FOR THE BLIND for the archives:

"Since 2011 Quintronics – the company which brought you the Drum Buddy – has been actively developing a low voltage weather controlled drone synthesizer. Base station number 1, called WEATHER WARLOCK was finally finished in the Spring of 2014 at the Robert Rauschenberg Foundation in Captiva, Florida.

www.weatherfortheblind.org will stream sounds from this musical weather station most every day and night as a free public service. This giant analog synth and it’s weather sensors will live primarily in New Orleans Louisiana at the Spellcaster Lodge. The entire apparatus will occasionally travel as part of a live band, also called WEATHER WARLOCK or as a part of QUINTRON AND MISS PUSSYCAT.

A weather controlled synthesizer had long been on the books for Quintronics but it took a fairly serious health crisis and a forced “vacation” from touring to steer these sounds towards consonant drone…E major to be exact. Mental and cellular relaxation became a part of the invention process.

This site is called “weather for the blind” in reference to a circadian rhythm sleep disorder suffered by many sight impaired persons. Our hope is that this instrument could be of some help to those experiencing any type of sleep disorder or to anyone suffering from stress or health issues which might benefit from a direct musical connection to nature. Windowless office buildings and crappy hotels may want to tune in as well.
Another future mission for this endeavor is that more base stations be built around the world so that listeners may experience musical interpretations of a variety of different climates and time zones – from Iceland to the Amazon. Please contact rhinestonerecords@hotmail.com if your museum, school, or private institution would be interested in commissioning a custom base station.

Occasionally weatherfortheblind.org will broadcast other sounds, stories, and special events. We will also invite guests manipulators to come and jam on the base station knobs and communicate with the weather gods for our listening pleasure. Thanks for visiting and please enjoy.

This project would not have been possible without the assistance of the Robert Rauschenberg Foundation, New Orleans Airlift, Tulane University, artist / engineer Mars Brown, Rami (Ballzack) Sharkey, and the ever brilliant advice of Miss Pussycat."

Mr. Quintron & Miss Pussycat -- 11/24/1999 Live at Magic Stick - Detroit MI

Published on Aug 12, 2014 tastysoilrecords

"Mr. Quintron & Miss Pussycat
11/24/1999 Live at Magic Stick - Detroit MI
Only recorded part of the live set, followed by the puppet show.
Filmed by C. Pottinger"

Quintrons Singing House

Singing House demo

YouTube Uploaded by spellcasterlodge on Jan 16, 2012

"Demonstration of latest Quintron invention called THE SINGING HOUSE. This is an analog "drone synth" which is completely modulated by the weather."

via Dangerous Minds via Jimmersound. Qintron, brought us the Drum Buddy.

And something else from Quintron:

Quintron and Miss Pussycat: "Face Down In The Gutter"

Uploaded by spellcasterlodge on Apr 27, 2011

"puppet video for this song from the album SUCRE DU SAUVAGE. Video created / edited by Miss Pussycat."

QUINTRON DRUM BUDDY ANALOG SYNTHESIZER DRUM MACHINE

via this auction

CLICK FOR MORE »

Drum Buddy Demo

YouTube via freshkillsflagship

see the labels at the bottom of this post for more.

http://www.drumbuddy.com/
"(update: this Drum Buddy was auctioned on Mardi Gras Day, 2007)
Available at Fresh Kills for auction preview, the Drum Buddy is a 4 oscillator, light activated, mechanically rotating drum machine and the invention of renowned New Orleans musician, Quintron. One of only 10 produced, Serial #1 from the 2008 New Line Cypress Drum Buddies is now being auctioned on eBay. The auction ends Tuesday, February 5th (Mardi Gras Day) at 11:00pm EST. New York City musician, Laurie Anderson and Nels Cline of the band, Wilco have acquired 2 of this limited run of Drum Buddies. All others have been sold. Visit quintronandmisspussycat.com and freshkillsflagship.com for more info, images, & music."

Quintron Drum Buddy

Remember this post on the Drumbuddy going up for auction? It looks like the time has finally come.

images via this auction
"Up for auction is a brand new Quintronics DRUM BUDDY, a one of a kind light activated analog synthesizer / rhythm machine hand crafted by New Orleans musician and inventor Quintron. The basic principal of operation is that there are cadmium sulfide light sensors hidden inside the colored tubes around the rotating black can and as the light holes pass them by, the various oscillator sounds are charged, filtered, bleeped and blooped in a variety of different ways. Each of the 4 oscillators is represented by a different color and each has been designed to complete a total rhythm kit, much the same way that the different elements of an acoustic trap set go together. The Blue pipe is the “kick drum”, the red is the “snare drum”, and the green is the “organ oscillator”. This green oscillator is raw VCO melodic organ tone controlled by “general” and “fine” tuning knobs for playing songs in a whole new way - no chromatic scales on this instrument. The yellow is the “space” or “scratch” oscillator which is plain un-effected, eerie sine wave tone which increases and decreases directly depending on the amount of light that is shed upon it. There is a 10 turn / 10K potentiometer wired to control the spinning can motor speed. This allows the player to precisely beat match DRUM BUDDY rhythms to DJ records, drum machines, railroad crossing signals...whatever. There are also various oscillator filters, on / off switches, and momentary buttons on the top panel and a general volume mixer on the front. There is also a light dimmer on the top panel which is a way to uniformly change the overall sound of all oscillators together. At its core the DRUM BUDDY is a straight up old school analog synth (built from scratch with the finest components) with a VERY unusual activation system which allows the player to create a variety of different fixed rhythms or to “scratch” the different sounds by using the momentary switches and spinning the can by hand. In addition to the sound synthesizing capabilities of the DRUM BUDDY, it is also a signal processor and can filter any instrument THROUGH to produce a strange ethereal bubbling effect onto the original signal. This is called the “WOBBLE FEATURE”. There is a bypass on the top panel for this feature and the best thing about this new 2008 addition is that the wobble feature is a totally separate circuit from the DRUM BUDDY synthesizer sounds so that you can play BOTH at the same time and they will be in perfect rhythmic tandem....the possibilities for new sounds and rhythms are endless. ABOUT THE CABINET: The cabinet was built by New Orleans furniture maker Marvin Hirsch out of 100% virgin pecky cypress. The wood for this particular one came from the original Cypress harvest (sometime between 1880 and 1930) and the tree itself could have been hundreds of years old when it was cut. The pecky dark streaking is quite rare and is the result of a fungus that only effects older cypress trees. This special swampy wood is a living antique and most certainly predates the purchase of Louisiana by the United States in the early 1800s. Only 10 cypress Line Drum Buddies were built and there are no plans to build any more ever. The Drum Buddy up for auction here is serial #1 and was originally intended to belong to Quintron (he decided to keep serial #6 with a strange cracked knot in the back as well as #10 - a green sinker cypress cabinet). All Drum Buddies in the world (less than 50 total and only 10 Cypress-Line) except this one here have found homes. This is it for a long long time....possibly ever. The cabinet is truly one of the most beautiful ever made and very unique. Profffits from this sale will go to the New Orleans Musician’s clinic. Please visit http://www.neworleansmusiciansclinic.org to learn about their tireless effort to provide health care to noninsured New Orleans musicians. This Drum Buddy comes with two different cans - a “TWO STEP” can and a “SLOW RIDE” can as well as a manual, power cord, and a static DRUM BUDDY DUSTER for cleaning the instrument. Also included will be a special kit for instructing how to cut your own cans! You will also receive the original broadcast version DRUM BUDDY INFOMERCIAL on Vhs tape and a rare signed test pressing of the original DRUM BUDDY DEMO lp. We understand that this price is very high for your average musician but please keep in mind that the many duties of this auction are being handled by a third party furniture store in Brooklyn called FRESH KILLS and that part of the auction profffffits will go to the New Orleans Musician’s clinic. Fred and John at FRESH KILLS are old childhood friends of Quintron and are very friendly. Don’t hesitate to stop in and see the Drum Buddy in real life and take a test drive or PLEASE don’t hesitate to email me thru this auction with any questions. SEE DRUM BUDDY DEMO VIDEO. VISIT FRESH KILLS: 50 North 6th Street, Brooklyn NY 11211 (718) 388-8081"

A Drumbuddy Going up for Auction

Remember the Drumbuddy?

It looks like one will be up for auction on Jan 26th. I'm guessing this is indeed for 2008 as there is an update for 2007 on this site. You can read more about the Drumbuddy there, including more images of the 2007 Drumbuddy's, but DO NOT miss the official Drumbuddy site.

Austin Powers impersonation: Yeah... Baby. And don't miss the video (click on the image and watch it through).

snip:
"Only 10 Drum Buddies were made - all in New Orleans, Louisiana - and the one for sale (in the photo above) is serial #1. It is also the instrument which was originally intended to belong to Quintron. He has decided to let this one go and give 10% of all profits to the New Orleans Musician's clinic. The starting price is $5000 and the ebay auction will begin on Saturday, Jan. 26th @ 11:59pm and end on Tuesday, Feb 5th (Mardi Gras day) @ 11:59pm All 10 of the Drum Buddies except this one at FRESH KILLS have been spoken for -mostly by New Orleans Swamp Tech DJs. New York City musician Laurie Anderson has acquired one for her band as well as Los Angeles guitarist Nels Cline - famed improve music guru and latest member of the band Wilco."

Drumbuddy

Yeah baby... Click through for more and more importantly, to listen. Trust me, it's worth it. : )