Buchla and beyond with synth legend Suzanne Ciani | Signal Flow Podcast Ep10

video upload by Signal Sounds

"We were beyond delighted that the legendary Suzanne Ciani paid a visit to our Glasgow showroom ahead of her performance as part of Sonica 2026. Luke and Tom spoke to her about being synonymous with Buchla, and her long career in electronic music - from building synths in California in the 1960s to collaborating with Actress and continuing to tour the world with her 200-series system. Big thanks to Su ‘SHHE’ Shaw and Jenn at Electric Shores for setting this up for us.

Suzanne Ciani tour dates, tickets and releases: https://www.sevwave.com/

Sonica Glasgow: https://sonic-a.co.uk/about

Get in touch with questions, feedback and suggestions via signalflow@signalsounds.com

Chapters
00:00 Introduction
01:28 On being synonymous with the Buchla
08:45 Working in quad and giving life to sound
13:19 How audiences have changed
16:33 Reacting against the male-dominated classical world
20:20 Collaborating with Actress and others
25:01 Buchla vs Serge
29:04 Setup for current live performances
32:15 Outro"

Signal Flow Podcast Episodes

4ms Podcast Ep. 5: Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith

video upload by 4ms Company

"Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith found her voice when a neighbor lent her a Buchla 100 synthesizer in 2011. Buchla, and other vintage rare synthesizers became the heart of a body of work that includes Euclid, Ears (named one of the best albums of 2016 by Pitchfork, NPR Music, and Resident Advisor), The Kid, The Mosaic of Transformation, Let's Turn It Into Sound, and last year's Gush and Thoughts on the Future as well as her upcoming album RUIN: It’s Not Just Music - which comes out Oct 2nd.

She's made records with synth pioneer Suzanne Ciani (Sunergy), composer Emile Mosseri (I Could Be Your Dog / I Could Be Your Moon), and Hot Chip's Joe Goddard (Neptunes). She's remixed Max Richter, Perfume Genius, Danny Elfman, and King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard, been remixed by Four Tet, and scored the film Omni Loop, starring Mary-Louise Parker and Ayo Edebiri.

This year she launched her own label, Someone Special, and its first release is her new album, Ruin: It's Not Just Music, out Oct 2nd - which is a Drum and Bass inspired album.

In this episode we get deeper with Kaitlyn's background, philosophy, and creative process."

You can find additional posts featuring Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith here.

The Electric Weasel Ensemble Strange/Buchla/Ruppenthal/Morse 2LP/2CD

"Below you'll find a press kit for a historic 2LP/2CD from The Electric Weasel Ensemble, a touring group of electro-acoustic musicians including Donald Buchla and Allan Strange.

Why is this group so important, you ask? Because they were playing Donald Buchla's instruments straight off his workbench and these instruments have gone on to help define the modern modular synthesizer era and business. Thankfully, the music is incredible, too."

Press release follows:

The Electric Weasel Ensemble
Strange/Buchla/Ruppenthal/Morse
2LP/2CD

EPK

Release date: Nov 27, 2026

Shifting continuously between minimalistic patterns, intricate soundscapes, and evolving textures of overlapping electronic sonorities, The Electric Weasel Ensemble presents a missing link in the history of electronic music. It is a series of previously-unreleased live recordings from a little-known but trailblazing ensemble of improvisers—equipped with a unique embrace of invented instruments and distinctly 1970s avant-garde sensibilities. This historic music is available on both double LP and double CD.

Founded in 1974 by composer Allen Strange and now-celebrated instrument designer Donald Buchla, The Electric Weasel Ensemble explored new directions in live performance with electronics, using Buchla’s sophisticated and unusual instruments as a launching pad.

Maintained for decades by Ensemble member Stephen Ruppenthal, these recordings include some of the best-preserved examples of Allen Strange’s pioneering compositions: graphically-notated directed improvisations for electronic and electronically processed acoustic instruments. They also offer rare insight into the radical sonic aesthetic that Buchla’s inventions enabled in the Bay Area music scene.

Focused on performance and DIY music distribution, the Electric Weasel Ensemble never widely released their music. Transferred from the original quarter-inch reels at Imprec, mastered for vinyl by Tom Eaton at Sounds and Substance, and pressed at Optimal in Germany, this record is a glimpse into the raw creativity and inventiveness that fueled the early decades of electronic music performance.

Who is the Electric Weasel Ensemble?

How do you build a new type of music from the ground up? The Electric Weasel Ensemble continually orbited this very question: inventing new instruments and, through collective play, learning to communicate in their unfamiliar, emergent languages.

The Weasels operated along the fringes of Northern California’s 1970s music scene, drawing equally from avant-garde and electronic composition, free improvisation, cybernetics, and the Bay Area’s psychedelic-fueled, countercultural spirit. A group of self-proclaimed “music outlaws,” their eclectic, anything-goes approach eschewed traditional notions of harmony, melody, form, and virtuosity—informed by their evolving relationships with new technology.

CLICK FOR MORE »

Variations on a theme by Ciani: Voltage sculpting with Buchla's most powerful module

video upload by Electrum Modular

"Introduced in the mid-1970s, the Buchla MARF (Multiple Arbitrary Function Generator) remains one of the most powerful, and also one of the rarest, modules ever made. It was part sequencer, part envelope generator, part voltage sculptor. It programmed up to 16 stages of arbitrary voltage shapes, each with its own time, level, contour, and behavioral flags. Using Claude, I have designed a simplified (but also, in some ways, enhanced) 8-stage version for the Disting NT called MiniMARFA. This video demonstrates it through two patches including Suzanne Ciani's Prism Melody (with a Buchla Easel).

Free download of MiniMarfa plugin for the Disting NT:
https://nt-gallery.nosuch.dev/plugin/...

00:00 Introduction
00:22 Patch One: Fermata
03:17 Patch Two: Refraction"

Did Moog ruin synths? Suzanne Ciani reveals analog's original sin.

video upload by SpectreVision Radio and Phantom Power Podcast

"Today we talk to modular synth pioneer Suzanne Ciani and MIT Spatial Sound Lab researcher Kamran V. Suzanne and Kamran both love quadraphonic sound, and they have a new quad release coming out on June 4th called Ciani/Orkest. They are on a mission to make quadraphonic music accessible to both musicians and to listeners, and in this interview, Kamran will explain how, you, with no special equipment, can listen to their new album in quad.
We'll also get into how analog synthesizers actually work, the early history of Buchla synths versus Moog synths, why Suzanne thinks keyboards diminish the potential of synths, and how Suzanne designed some of the most recognizable sounds of the 1980s.
Suzanne Ciani is a Grammy Award nominated composer, electronic musician, and neoclassical recording artist who has released over 20 solo albums, including Seven Waves and The Velocity of Love. Her work has been featured in Hollywood films, video games, and countless commercials. She was inducted into the first class of keyboard magazine's Hall of Fame, alongside Bob Moog, Don Buchla, and Dave Smith. And she was the subject of the feature documentary, A Life in Waves.
Kamran V is an arts technologist and MIT Spatial Sound Lab researcher, and he's a National Endowment for the Arts grant recipient. He's worked at Interscope Records, produced immersive music releases for Nine Inch Nails, Sting, and Beck, and he ran the music tech fest, Moogfest. He's also on the board of Dub Lab.

Cited Media:

Music & Albums:
⁠Suzanne Ciani - Ciani/Orkest (2025)⁠⁠Suzanne Ciani - Live Quadraphonic (2016)⁠⁠Suzanne Ciani - The Velocity of Love (1986)⁠⁠Suzanne Ciani - Seven Waves (1982)⁠⁠Wendy Carlos - Switched-On Bach (1968)⁠⁠Stevie Wonder - Talking Book (1972)⁠⁠The Rentals⁠
Film & TV:
⁠3-2-1 Contact, PBS (1980–1988)⁠⁠Brett Whitcomb - A Life in Waves (2017)⁠⁠Suzanne Ciani on David Letterman (1980)⁠
Events & Festivals:
⁠Moogfest⁠⁠AES Convention⁠⁠Amsterdam Dance Event⁠⁠NAMM⁠
Tools & Plugins:
⁠Kamran V - QUARK Plugin (free)⁠
Record Labels & Archives:
⁠Finders Keepers Records⁠

Chapters:

0:00 Intro
5:45 Meet the Guests
6:28 Sound Design & Commercials
13:45 High Art vs Low Culture
19:03 Ciani Orkest
24:42 Moog vs Buchla
26:36 How Modular Synths Work
36:15 Quadrophonic Sound
45:13 The QUARK Plugin
50:24 Seven Waves"

Todd Barton: a conversation about Buchla, Serge, modular and more

video upload by CatSynth TV

"We present a lively and in-depth conversation with Todd Barton, "sonic adventurer, composer, educator and performer of abstract, freely improvised electronic music specializing in Buchla, Serge and Hordijk instruments." We discuss his connections to these instruments developed to become central to his music, and sharing his knowledge and experience with others through his popular YouTube and Instagram channels and private lessons. We also touch on a few encounters including the Serge anniversary show in San Francisco, the launch of the Buchla Red Panel series at NAMM, and most recently, his duet with Suzanne Ciani at Buchla & Friends 2025 in Los Angeles.

To find out more about Todd Barton and his work, please visit his website: https://www.toddbarton.com/

00:00 Introduction
00:48 Todd Barton as sonic adventurer and musician in multiple worlds
03:20 Serge, Buchla and Hordijk
08:52 Barton's long relationship with Buchla instruments
13:32 The Buchla Red Panel series, and other 100-series re-creations
18:07 The myriad possibilities of the Serge Dual Universal Slope Generator
21:15 YouTube and Instagram demos and private lessons for modular synthesis
29:48 Performing with Suzanne Ciani at Buchla & Friends 2025
33:55 Community and the future of making music with signals
36:17 Conclusion

Our highlight video from Suzanne Ciani and Todd Barton duo at Buchla & Friends:
[ • Suzanne Ciani and Todd Barton live pe...] [posted here] ( • Suzanne Ciani and Todd Barton live pe... ) [posted here]

Our demo and tutorial on the Buchla Red Panel 158 and 156m
• Buchla Red Panel 158 and 156M: Demo a... [posted here]

________
Please consider supporting this channel to help us bring you more synthesizer tutorials and other content.
Merch: https://shop.catsynth.com
Patreon: / catsynth
Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/catsynth"

Suzanne Ciani and Todd Barton live performance at Buchla & Friends

video upload by CatSynth TV

"Electronic-music luminaries Suzanne Ciani and Todd Barton join forces in the live performance on Buchla modular synthesizers with four-channel audio.

This performance was part of the Buchla & Friends synthesizer event in Los Angeles on January 26, 2025"

Exploring the 1st Buchla 100 Modular Synthesizer

video upload by Sarah Belle Reid

"This video is a historical, technical, and musical deep dive into the Buchla 100 Series Modular System at the Mills College Center for Contemporary Music. This instrument was the first voltage controllable modular synthesizer built by Don Buchla—it was delivered to the San Francisco Tape Music Center in the mid-1960s.

In this video we’ll start with a brief historical overview of the Buchla 100 Series Modular System and the San Francisco Tape Music Center. Then, we’ll unpack everything that’s inside the instrument module by module. Finally, I’ll share some of the quirks of this particular instrument, and lots of patch examples to illustrate its unique voice and character.

As I was getting to know this instrument, I tried to keep in mind the circumstances surrounding its development—the people who contributed to it, the time in which it emerged, and the state of electronic music at the time of its invention. These thoughts greatly inspired my approach to working with the instrument and are present throughout this video.

It’s a rare opportunity to be able to work with a historical instrument like this one. I have always been super inspired by Buchla’s work in general, but like many people have had few opportunities to work with his original instruments. Instead, much of my experience has been through newer instruments inspired by his designs. Being able to work closely with this instrument was an incredibly inspiring and clarifying experience that allowed me to gain a deeper understanding of Buchla’s own creative and technical development, as well as the multitude of music, modern modules, and instruments that have been inspired by his work.

Special thank you to Mills College for letting us spend a week in the electronic music studio working with the Buchla 100; to The Buchla Archives and Ryan Gaston for helping to put this video together; and also to all of the amazing folks in my Patreon community for your support in helping to bring educational projects like this one to life!

Learn more / join the waitlist for Learning Sound and Synthesis, my online modular synthesis and sound design class: https://www.soundandsynthesis.com

Join my Patreon community for behind-the-scenes content, unreleased music, and extended tutorials: sarahbellereid

Thank you to:
Mills College Center for Contemporary Music https://www.performingarts.mills.edu
The Buchla Archives https://www.buchlaarchives.com
Ryan Gaston (co-producing + filming) https://gastonsounds.com
Hainbach (tape slicing footage)

TIMESTAMPS:
00:00 Historical Overview: Buchla 100 + the San Francisco Tape Music Center
7:38 Mills Buchla 100 System Overview
14:27 Timbre in the Mills Buchla 100
18:29 Chaos in the Mills Buchla 100
21:52 Voltage Control Quirks
25:00 Sequencing Tactics: Triggered Segments
30:40 Sequencing Tactics: Extended Sequences
32:06 More Patches + Sounds
32:36 Ring Modulated Reverb Patch
34:40 Keyboard Chaos Patch
36:55 Gated Voice Patch
38:29 Wonky Drum Machine Patch
38:57 Triggered Gestures Patch
39:14 Transposed FM Sequence Patch
39:48 Bell Tones Patch
40:27 Touch Controlled Ratchet Patch
41:00 Sequenced Melodic Patch

Sarah Belle Reid is a performer-composer, active in the fields of electroacoustic trumpet performance, intermedia arts, music technology, and improvisation.

www.sarahbellereid.com"



"In the Spring of 2024, Reid spent a week at the Center for Contemporary Music at Mills College, where she worked closely with their original Buchla 100 modular synthesizer system. This specific instrument’s historical significance can’t be overstated. It was the very first voltage controllable modular synthesizer that the now-famous artist, inventor, and electronic musical instrument designer Donald Buchla built in the mid 1960s—indeed, one of the very first modular synthesizers altogether. In its time, this specific system has been used by countless inspiring and influential musicians, such as Pauline Oliveros, Morton Subotnick, Suzanne Ciani, Warner Jepson, and others.

The video begins with a brief historical overview of the Buchla 100 Series Modular System and the San Francisco Tape Music Center. Then, Reid unpacks everything that’s inside the instrument module by module, with sound demos and examples. Finally, she shares some of the unique quirks of the Mills Buchla 100 instrument, and patch examples of how the instrument can be used to create a wide range of music and sounds."

Suzanne Ciani - Concert At Phil Niblock's Loft

video upload by Suzanne Ciani

"Concert At Phil Niblock's Loft · Suzanne Ciani

Buchla Concerts 1975

℗ 2016 S. Ciani

Released on: 2016-09-02

Mixer: S. Ciani
Producer: S. Ciani
Composer: S. Ciani
Lyricist: S. Ciani"

Suzanne Ciani - Concert At WBAI Free Music Store

video upload by Suzanne Ciani

"Concert At WBAI Free Music Store · Suzanne Ciani

Buchla Concerts 1975

℗ 2016 S. Ciani

Released on: 2016-09-02

Mixer: S. Ciani
Producer: S. Ciani
Composer: S. Ciani
Lyricist: S. Ciani"

The MARF Files: Ep 1 - Strobed Slopes & Suzanne Ciani’s “String Patch”

video upload by Source Of Uncertainty

"Max Lord’s MARF Cookbook:

https://github.com/wir35/marf-book"

Update: and some Buchla Jazz from Source Of Uncertainty's DARK SPARKLER channel:

Buchla Jazz

video upload by DARK SPARKLER

Source Of Uncertainty The MARF Files

Source Of Uncertainty Featured Module Videos

video uploads by Source Of Uncertainty

Use the player controls to skip around.

The playlist currently starts with Kyle and Robert recreating a patch from Suzanne Ciani's "Buchla Concerts 1975" on the Buchla-format Multiple Arbitrary Function Generator Model 248, aka "the MARF".

Suzanne Ciani & Metropole Orkest - Seashore (Live at Melkweg ADE)

video upload by JP

This one is in via Stefan who had the following to say about it:

"Yesterday evening 19th october, i was lucky enough to see and hear Suzanne Ciani performing live with her Buchla system in quadraphonic, together with an orchestra.

It was an amazing concert. On the site of Metropole Orkest there is more in depth info and interviews with Suzanne Ciani and Simon Dobson and the arrangers. Someone uploaded a short video [above].

Afterwards there was a standing ovation :"

Suzanne Ciani + Metropole Orkest standing ovation. ADE 2022
video upload by osixoone sevenone

"suzanne ciani and metropole orkest #live #buchla and #orchestra amazing quadraphonic concert. More info here: https://www.mo.nl/program-ade2022?utm..."

Moog Introduces Animoog Z for iOS & macOS

Animoog Z | Suzanne Ciani | Currents video upload by Moog Music

"Electronic music pioneer and modular synthesis icon Suzanne Ciani invites you inside her seaside home studio for a dynamic improvised composition that demonstrates the unique sonic character of Animoog Z integrated with her Buchla modular system.

In the hands of one of Animoog’s earliest adopters, “Currents” presents a captivating representation of the evolved app’s striking new visual and auditory features, incorporating imported and enhanced presets from the original Animoog. An “unexpectedly powerfully expressive tool” for live performance, according to Ciani, Animoog has been a staple of the five-time Grammy award-nominated composer’s musical repertoire for years.

Download Animoog Z for free: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/animoog...

More about Suzanne Ciani: https://www.sevwave.com"

And the press release:

Released in 2011, the original Animoog changed the face of iOS music production with its innovative approach to dimensional sound design and uniquely interactive touch surface interface. A full decade later, we have completely redesigned the instrument with more powerful functionality and creative workflows for the next generation of producers and sound designers.

Animoog Z is an inspiring 16-voice polyphonic synthesizer that invites users to explore new concepts of multidimensional sound and performance. The instrument is powered by an innovative Anisotropic Synth Engine (ASE), which utilizes an orbit system to expand the concepts of wavetable and vector synthesis. This unique synthesis concept allows for dynamic navigation through the app’s X, Y, and Z axes for evolving and layered sound.

Free for all iOS and macOS users to download and immediately explore, Animoog Z also offers an upgrade option that unlocks the full sonic potential of the synthesizer.

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/animoog-z/id1586841361

See here for aditional Animoog Z posts.

Mycelium Symposium March 2021 - Modular/Virtual Modular Performances, Workshops, and Presentations

video by Omri Cohen

You can find additional resources from Omri Cohen at https://www.patreon.com/omricohen

"So this is the first Mycelium Symposium, an online event dedicated to modular and virtual modular.
Here is a rough timetable of the performances, workshops, and presentations :

This is all in the CET time zone (GMT+1)
18.00 - Performance, Giovanni Gramegna (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcTH...​)
18.16 - Performance, Stellar 53 - Journey to Saturn (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdk2...​)
18.28 - Presentation, VCV Rack Ideas - Ambient Techno Patch in VCV Rack (https://www.youtube.com/vcvrackideas​)
18.40 - Performance, Zen Wires - Welcoming Spring (https://modularzen.com/​)
18.56 - Break
19.06 - Performance, Pyer - right on time (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC74_...​)
19.20 - Performance, Rheyne - Unsettled Evocation (https://www.youtube.com/user/RheyneMusic​)
19.36 - Presentation, Jakub Ciupinski - VCV Rack Hacks (http://www.jakubciupinski.com/​)
19.47 - Performance, Synthikat - Zen Garden (https://www.youtube.com/synthikat​)
19.59 - Workshop, Pyer - Suzanne Ciani’s Buchla Cookbook in VCV Rack (https://www.pyer.be/ciani.html​)
20.15 - Break
20.25 - Workshop, Instruō - Patching the Cš-L in VCV Rack (https://www.instruomodular.com/​)
21.06 - Performance, Deev Bennes - Sublingual (https://www.youtube.com/user/deevje​)
21.23 - Break
21.33 - Workshop, Sarah Belle Reid - Acoustic Instruments and VCV Rack (https://www.patreon.com/sarahbellereid​ / https://www.soundandsynthesis.com/​)
21.49 - Performance, Martin Lueders - La-vie (https://www.youtube.com/user/mlu2006​)
22.07 - Presentation, Hora Music - Deep and Bicephalous (https://www.hora-music.be/​)
22.15 - Performance, BrokenSines - Californium (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjec...​)
22.37 - Presentation - Midilar (https://midilar-controller.webnode.sk/​)
22.52 - Break
23.02 - Workshop, The Klirrfaktor - Why and How to code your first VCV Rack module (http://klirrfactory.com/​)
23.51 - Performance, Omri Cohen - Rain keeps falling"

SOUNDMIT 2020 - Intervista Esclusiva a Suzanne Ciani con Johann Merrich e Giorgio Li Calzi

SOUNDMIT

"Abbiamo intervistato Suzanne Ciani!

La sua vita con il Buchla, dalla fabbrica sulla West Coast al suo ruolo di compositrice e di donna nel mondo della musica elettronica degli ultimi 50 anni.

Suzanne is a five-time Grammy award-nominated composer, electronic music pioneer, and neo-classical recording artist who has released over 20 solo albums including "Seven Waves," and "The Velocity of Love," along with a landmark quad LP “LIVE Quadraphonic,” which restarted her Buchla modular performances. Her work has been featured in films, games, and countless commercials as well.

She was inducted into the first class of Keyboard Magazine's Hall of Fame alongside other synth luminaries, including Bob Moog, Don Buchla and Dave Smith and received the Moog Innovation Award. Most recently, she is the recipient of the Independent Icon Award from A2IM.

Suzanne has provided the voice and sounds for Bally's groundbreaking "Xenon" pinball machine, created Coca-Cola’s pop-and-pour sound, designed logos for Fortune 500 companies, and carved out a niche as one of the most creatively successful female composers in the world. A Life in Waves, a documentary about Ciani’s life and work, debuted at SXSW in 2017 and is available to watch on all digital platforms.

Ciani is a graduate of Wellesley College and holds a Masters in Music Composition from the University of California, Berkeley."

You can find addtional posts mentioning and/or featuring Suzanne Ciani here.

Coca-Cola Star Snacks Drive In Intermission Snipe (1979)

FT Depot

"35mm scan of a Coke commercial"

Some serious synth action in this. Curious what was used. The year was supposedly 1979.

Update: CR Wallace in the comments suggested this might be from Suzanne Ciani who was doing commercials for Coke at the time. That would make sense; from this happy birthday post: "In 1974 she formed her own company, Ciani/Musica, and, using a Buchla Analog Modular Synthesizer, composed scores for television commercials for corporations such as Coca-Cola, Merrill Lynch, AT&T and General Electric."

You can find some the commercials in this previous post from 2009.

P.S.  That might make for some Buchla vs. Moog Popcorn above at :24 seconds in.  :)

The following is the classic "Pop & Pour' Coca-Cola Logo" w/ some Buchla fizz.

Pop & Pour' Coca-Cola Logo

Suzanne Ciani - Topic

Suzanne Ciani On Modular Synthesis & The Buchla 200e | Composer Magazine

Published on Feb 9, 2020 Spitfire Audio

"Suzanne Ciani gives an in-depth demonstration of how she composes using the Buchla 200e for our latest Composer Magazine feature.

https://composer.spitfireaudio.com/en..."

Shasta Cults Self Titled Release Featuring the Buchla Touché

Pre-order on black and clear vinyl at IMPREC, and digital at BandCamp.

"Wonderful to hear such beautiful, billowing sound clouds emanating from the legendary Touché." - David Rosenboom

Shasta Cults is the musical project of Canadian electronics technician Richard Smith. For almost two decades, Smith was the official Buchla & Associates repair tech for studios, collectors, and musicians around the world. Having worked for artists such as Aphex Twin, Suzanne Ciani, Morton Subotnick and institutions such as The Library of Congress and Mills College, Smith has had the unique experience of restoring and interacting with nearly every model of Buchla instrument constructed over the past 50 years.

Recorded over the span of three months in the fall of 2018, this album was programmed using the only fully functional Buchla Touché. Developed in the early 1980s with hardware by Donald Buchla and software programmed by musician David Rosenboom, the Touché features waveforms generated internally by twenty-four digital oscillators and uses frequency modulation along with sophisticated digital and analog signal processing to produce complex timbres.

This LP is a continuation of themes first heard on Configurations, with more consideration given to the generation and recording of the pieces. The album's six tracks – a collection of sonic experiments and hypnotic drones – span almost forty minutes, showcasing not only the incredible fidelity of the Touché but also Smith's evolution as an audio engineer.

Put on some headphones, find a comfortable chair, and let this LP transport you to the mystifying southern cascades of Siskiyou County.

RIYL: ELEH, Sarah Davachi

released November 13, 2019

Programmed, recorded and mastered by Shasta Cults - Fall 2018
Artwork by IMPREC

all rights reserved

Suzanne Ciani to Mentor Emerging Electronic Producers as Master in Residence at Studio Bell

via the National Music Centre

"Synth legend Suzanne Ciani to mentor emerging electronic producers as next Master in Residence at Studio Bell

Four artists from across Canada to be mentored by electronic music pioneer

(Calgary, AB — October 17, 2019) The National Music Centre (NMC) is pleased to announce electronic music pioneer Suzanne Ciani as the next Master in Residence at Studio Bell in Calgary.

Dubbed the 'Diva of the Diode,' Suzanne Ciani is a five-time Grammy award-nominated composer, electronic music pioneer, and neo-classical recording artist whose work has been featured in countless commercials, video games, and feature films. Over the course of her 40-plus year career, Ciani has released 16 solo albums, including Seven Waves, The Velocity of Love, and most recently, her comeback quadraphonic Buchla modular synth performance recording LIVE Quadraphonic.

Alongside NMC ON and AEMCON events, Ciani will offer her expertise on electronic music composition, including analog modular live performance and sound design techniques, with four emerging Canadian electronic artists during an intensive one-day session. Participants include Calgary producer and bass music advocate Homesick, Winnipeg-by-way-of-Toronto electronic artist Joanne Pollock, experimental music-maker YlangYlang from Montreal, and Toronto-based experimental electronic performer Korea Town Acid, who will also appear as part of NMC ON: After Hours on November 15. Tickets for After Hours are on sale now at studiobell.ca/whats-on.

The public will also have a chance to see Ciani lead a public Buchla Masterclass on November 16. Tickets for that event are available at studiobell.ca/whats-on.

'I’m thrilled to share my history and expertise in my favorite music medium, analog modular, with young emerging Canadian artists,' said Suzanne Ciani. 'I’m looking forward to our exchange of ideas.'

The Master in Residence program invites emerging artists to work under the leadership of a Master in Residence chosen to inspire creativity, encourage innovation, share expertise and provide mentorship. Previous masters have included acclaimed country icon Terri Clark, singer-songwriter Steven Page, Canadian techno ambassador, Richie Hawtin, and Our Lady Peace founder, Raine Maida. Internationally-acclaimed artist and producer, Daniel Lanois led NMC’s first ever Master in Residence event in 2015 with an interactive master session in collaboration with Sled Island Music and Arts Festival.

'As a pioneering, Grammy-nominated composer and performer of electronic music, Suzanne Ciani is a master with international pedigree,' said Adam Fox, NMC’s Director of Programs. 'Connecting emerging Canadian artists with career-altering mentorship opportunities is something that the National Music Centre takes great pride in. This is going to be a once-in-a-lifetime experience for this year’s selected participants.'

CLICK FOR MORE »

Suzanne Ciani on the Radio

Published on Sep 22, 2019 zack dagoba

"Heard this on the radio yesterday. Not often the word BUCHLA comes up when I'm listening in the car to a random program. I'm putting it up here for posterity"