"Preparing the 6th Annual Journey to the Apex of Sonic Innovation and Fearlessness: New Media Art and Sound Summit 2014.
Church of the Friendly Ghost and Austin Museum of Digital Art present the New Media Art and Sound Summit (NMASS) from Thursday, June 12th until Saturday, June 14th, 2014. The festival will feature music performances, sound installations, film screenings, and workshops!
Your contribution to this campaign underwrites the production of NMASS, paying for things such as artist travel, accommodation, equipment rentals, sound engineering, and venue costs. Your support is an investment in a creative summit which contributes to the unique cultural identity of our great city! 100% of admissions proceeds are paid to our featured guest artists and performers. NMASS and COTFG are completely volunteer-run. You can support this campaign even if you're not in Austin or can't attend the festival in person!
Here is a partial list of artists and musicians confirmed so far for NMASS 2014:
J.G. Thirlwell (NYC; Foetus, Manorexia) performing with a string quartet and separately with Noveller (NYC; Important Records), Stephen Farris, Flcon Fcker, S U R V I V E, Chad Mossholder (of Twine), Malloc, SYMBOL, Xander Harris, Kyle Evans (of Cracked Ray Tube), Vision System, Sounding Vessels, Bourdon Ensemble, Steve Parker / Bob Hoffnar / Jason Phelps trio, CotFG iOS app ensemble, Scott Stark / Allison Leigh Holt (SF) film performance, Code in Motion film program curated by Clint Enns (Toronto), Vanessa Gelvin sound installation, Meason Wiley cymatics demonstration, Bleep Labs DIY synth workshop, Gary Wilson, Weasel Walter / Sandy Ewen / Damon Smith trio, Moonsicles, Aunt's Analog, Bradley Telcom Ensemble, Darcy Neal, and more!
Church of the Friendly Ghost is a 100% volunteer-run nonprofit cultural arts organization founded in Austin in 2003. We operate under the sponsorship of Salvage Vanguard Theater, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit with support from the Cultural Arts Division of the City of Austin, and the Texas Commission on the Arts. All contributions, other than ticket purchases, are federal tax deductible. Tax exempt status information available on request.
The full 3 day festival pass is just $40! You can purchase that right here, right now by backing us at that level!
Regular t-shirts designed by Lindsey Taylor and Stephen Fishman or NMASS Exclusive T-Shirts designed by Laurel Barickman of Recspec.org!"
Moogfest 2016 Talent Announcement with Reggie Watts
Published on Dec 8, 2015 Moogfest
"Headlining performances include Gary Numan playing a three night residency of his trailblazing early albums, a two-night residency by GZA, ODESZA, Laurie Anderson, Oneohtrix Point Never, Suzanne Ciani, Blood Orange, and Sun Ra Arkestra; with keynote presentations by transhumanist activist and pharma tycoon Dr. Martine Rothblatt, and computer scientist Jaron Lanier, a pioneer in the field of virtual reality.
More than one hundred other acts are already confirmed to perform, while the conference program continues to develop in partnership with a range of esteemed universities, innovative businesses, and art/technology organizations. Program partners include MIT Media Lab, Google, Duke University, Georgia Institute of Technology, The New Museum’s New Inc., IDEO, Gray Area, and the EyeO Festival.
For the first time ever, Moogfest will take place in Durham, NC. Moogfest activates seventeen venues, throughout the walkable downtown core, from intimate galleries to grand theatres, including a free outdoor stage with participatory, all-ages programming. Durham promises to be an ideal setting for Moogfest: a city uniquely blending diversity, authenticity, world class innovation, and culture, with a long history of great music.
Program highlights:
Pioneers in Electronic Music
Electronic music pioneer Gary Numan will perform his first three albums (Replicas, The Pleasure Principle, and Telekon) over three consecutive nights in three different venues. Musical experimentalist Laurie Anderson weaves stories and song in her solo performance, “The Language of the Future” and then returns to the stage the next day to hosts a daytime conversation.
Future Pop
Headlining talent also charts a zig-zagging course across today’s synthesizer infused pop landscape, from the vibrant electronic duo ODESZA, to the future soul of Blood Orange (playing in North Carolina for the first time), a return of utopian rockers YACHT, and even the comic stylings of Reggie Watts.
Experimentalists
Immersive noise and minimalist sonic-scapes from some of today’s most progressive experimental artists, including sunn O))), Ben Frost, Tim Hecker, Silver Apples, Oneohtrix Point Never, Quintron & Miss Pussycat, Olivia Block, Alessandro Cortini, and Lotic.
Ambient Music Innovators
A rich program of sustained tones and cascading moods led by Daniel Lanois, Brian Eno’s prolific Grammy winning protege, Suzanne Ciani, and the UK’s originators of ambient house The Orb.
Hip-Hop
GZA leads Moogfest’s strongest ever hip-hop and rap lineup, supported by a roster of emerging talent including Lunice, Tory Lanez, Denzel Curry, Dr. Dre protege King Mez, and Well$.
The Future of Creativity
Futurist philosophers set the tone for a mind-expanding conference. Keynotes by Dr. Martine Rothblatt, author, entrepreneur, transhumanist, inventor of satellite radio, and Jaron Lanier, a computer scientist and composer who has pioneered the field of virtual reality. Other visionaries include sound explorer Onyx Ashanti and his 'exo-voice' sonic prosthesis, Tod Machover from MIT Media LAB presenting his work in HyperInstruments, and Gil Weinberg and The Robotic Musicianship Group at Georgia Tech performing with Shimon, an improvising robotic marimba player that uses artificial intelligence.
Orchestral Ensembles
The intergalactic voyagers of Sun Ra Arkestra channel the cosmic philosopher himself. Arthur Russell’s Instrumentals ensemble, making their US debut. Floating Points’ live project veers fluidly from warm electronic to jazz to sonic space rhythms.
"Born in 2017 from the experience of SYNTHMEETING event in Torino, It is its natural evolution and inherits all the know-how acquired in six long years of work and success.
SOUNDMIT - International Sound Summit, created from the same working group of SYNTHMEETING, is the new and biggest event dedicated to musical instrument's world in Italy.
Entered in the Turin art week on 3/5 November 2017, SOUNDMIT welcomes the SYNTH MEETING and opens the doors to other sectors of the musical world: Software, Dj Point, Makers, Schools, Recording studios, Record labels, Luthiers, Dealers and Manufacturer are just some of the innovations included in this new event."
SYNTH MEETING present SOUNDMIT (International Sound Summit)
We are pleased to finally announce the developments of the S YNTHMEETING o f Torino during the last months.
The SYNTHMEETING , which began in 2011 from an idea of F rancesco Mulassano a nd ran till 2016 together with Luca Torasso, will be part of a newest and bigger event.
After the success of the sixth edition which brought over 2 500 visitors and 60 international brands to Torino, we have decided to take a step forward.
In 2016 we set up the Associazione Culturale NOISECOLLECTIVE with the founding members being Francesco Mulassano, Luca Torasso and Luca Minelli ( www.noisecollective.net ) then we enlarged the network with some acquisitions. Are part of NOISECOLLECTIVE :
- SYNTHMEETING , the only event dedicated to the world of synthesizers and electronic musical instruments capable of involving over 2500 people and 60 international brands (data from 2016)
- The Facebook group SYNTH CAFÈ, with more than 14,000 members is a reference point in the field of synthesis and electronic music in Italy, created by L uca Minelli in 2011.
- The music portal ULTRASONICA h as been an online reference point since 2004 for music news and live event photos with an exclusive photographic archive which hosts over 12,000 photos.
- The Facebook group STRUMENTI MUSICALI USATI with 5400 members is among the largest and most active italian groups for buying and selling musical instruments on Facebook.
These acquisitions have immediately incremented the network guaranteeing a group of nearly 22,000 members.
After the closing of the sixth edition of the meeting we immediately started working on creating a new event which inherits the know-how gained through the experience of the SYNTHMEETING and the other events which followed in these months (MOD01, OpenDay, The Golden Synth Era with Felice Manzo, Arduino and Synth with Pier Calderan, Modular Synth Masterclass con Gino Robair).
via Dr. Bleep (Bleep Labs) "Sunday, June 19th, 1-5pm, all ages, $10 donation toward supplies requested Salvage Vanguard Theater, 2803 Manor Rd., Austin, TX
New Media Art and Sound Summit and Artificial Music Machine present the fourth installment in a series of circuit bending events titled Get Bent! The afternoon will begin with a short presentation by Artificial Music Machine co-founder and sound artist Thomas Fang on the history and theory of circuit bending, defined as the creative short-circuiting of electronic devices that produce sounds. Background information.
The bulk of the event will consist of a hands-on workshop in which participants will modify electronic devices to produce new sounds. Soldering irons, wire, switches, potentiometers, and some devices will be provided, but attendees are encouraged to bring screwdrivers and inexpensive electronic toys to bend. Examples: small keyboards, Speak & Spell, Furby, Barbie karaoke machine, toy guitars, etc. No previous knowledge of electronics is required.
After the workshop, from 4-5pm, everyone with a device can plug in for an open jam session!
To ensure a space at this event, please RSVP by sending email to: thomas.fang@gmail.com [let them know you saw this on MATRIXSYNTH!]
"Take Me To Your Modular: Exhibit and Samoogarai design at #MtnOasis festival this weekend! Check out the details here: http://bit.ly/17Iujwt"
"The Bob Moog Foundation is proud to present Take Me to Your Modular, an intimate exhibit of three vintage modular synthesizers from the early days of contemporary synthesis. Take Me to Your Modular will be presented for the very first time at the 2013 Mountain Oasis Electronic Music Summit from October 25th-27th in the Diana Wortham Theater lobby, where the Foundation will also house Dr. Bob’s Interactive Sonic Experience, a setup of theremins and synthesizers for public exploration.
Highlighted in the exhibit will be a custom built Moog modular, featuring many modules from the early 1967 R.A. Moog company, an Aries 300, and an ARP 2600. The instruments are part of a new loan from UNC-Greensboro to the Bob Moog Foundation. With each system comes a fascinating story not only about the technology, but also about the technicians and end users. The exhibit was created to inform and inspire people about some the early iterations of modular synthesis, a technology upon which much of the music at the festival is rooted.
In conjunction with the exhibit, the Foundation is offering custom t-shirt featuring an image affectionately dubbed by the artist as the Samoogarai, a samurai robot figure made completely of synthesizer elements including modules, keys, knobs, and cables. The image was originally designed by Brooklyn based John Solomine of Spike Press and was a star at the SYNTH Art Show at Moogfest 2012.
Come visit the Take Me To Your Modular exhibit from 12-6pm at the Diana Wortham Theater lobby through the Mountain Oasis weekend. After the festival, we will be posting more information about each modular synthesizer. Please check the website for updates."
If you are heading to the Mountain Oasis Festival, don't miss TRASH_AUDIO's event there as well.
"We have seen experimental electronics artists transform musical instrument design; we have seen them tinker with musical teory and composition; we have seen them advance the hands-on education system; we have seen them turn DIY performance art on its head! What will they do with micro-theater -- specifially puppetry?
The annual Midwestern Experimental Electronics Conference and Showcase (www.MEECAS.com) is a free, day-long, inventors' networking symposium highlighting the past year's innovations in the areas of Musical Instrument Design, Performance, Circuit Bending, Data Hacking, and Video Art.
There are lectures, demonstrations, interactive installations, a daytime circuit bent open mic, and an evening's showcase of the Midwest's most innovative artists and inventors.
Children welcome from Noon - 4:00 PM if accompanied by a parent."
Church of the Friendly Ghost presents the fifth annual NMASS (New Media Art and Sound Summit) from Thursday, June 13th until Saturday, June 15th, 2013! Concerts! Art Installations! Film screenings! Workshops!
Your contribution to this campaign underwrites the production of NMASS, paying for things such as artist travel, accommodation, equipment rentals, sound engineering, and venue costs. Your support is an investment in a creative summit that contributes to the unique cultural identity of our great city! 100% of admissions proceeds are paid to our featured guest artists and performers. NMASS and COTFG are completely volunteer-run. You can support this campaign even if you're not in Austin or can't attend the festival in person!
This year our festival will feature an entire day of programming and workshops based around modular synthesizers, an evening of cocktails and experimental film, a documentary film brunch and a sample of the most intriguing performers on the local, national and international new music, fringe and electronic scene. Three days all for a reasonable ticket price of $35! This is how the line up is shaping out so far:
Eurorack synth module building workshop with Super Synthesis and Delptronics* Modular synth meet and greet / show and tell, Thomas Fang, Daze of Heaven, Douglas Ferguson, Rick Reed, Atlanta-based sound designer and IDM wizard Richard Devine with visuals by SYMBOL. Experimental Response Cinema will present the films of Dallas artist Michael Morris and a program of local experimental filmakers, Chicago's Coppice will perform new material for prepared pump organ and tape procceses, Nick Hennies in a vibraphone and bass duo, The Austin premier of the film Conlon Nancarrow: Virtuoso of the Player Piano, Red Ox vs. Cinders, master of cassette tape destruction Jason Zeh, Argentinean electronic musician Nicolas Melmann will be presenting a live sound and video performance, a new installation by Sean O'neill and Clay Odom. Plus more artists and events are being added every day!
The day by day schedule is not fully laid out yet, but here's a sketch:
Thursday, June 13th
An evening of cocktails and experimental film projection and performance with artist Michael Morris and the film makers from the Experimental Response Cinema
Friday, June 14th
I/O Music Technology presents a modular synthesizer workshop, meet and greet, and modular synth performances: Thomas Fang, Daze of Heaven, Douglas Ferguson, Rick Reed, Richard Devine. These will be followed by an evening performance by Nicolas Melmann.
Saturday, June 15th
An afternoon brunch with a screening of the documentary Conlon Nancarrow: Virtuoso of the Player Piano, followed by performances by Nick Hennies, Red Ox vs. Cinders, Jason Zeh, Coppice and many more to be added soon!
*Friday's modular synthesizer workshop! Participants can choose to build one of several module kits offered by Delptronics and Super Synthesis, designed for the Eurorack format. There will be a fee for PCBs, panels, and components, but soldering stations and supplies will be provided, along with hands-on instruction, and you'll leave with a working synth module. Fee, available kits and RSVP information coming soon!
Church of the Friendly Ghost is a 100% volunteer-run nonprofit cultural arts organization headquartered in Austin, and founded in 2003. We operate under the sponsorship of Salvage Vanguard Theater, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit with support from the Cultural Arts Division of the City of Austin, and the Texas Commission on the Arts. All contributions, other than ticket purchases, are federal tax deductible. Tax exempt status information available on request.
The full 3 day festival pass is just $35.00!
You can purchase that right here, right now by backing us at that level!"
"New Media Art and Sound Summit 2015
http://nmassfest.org/
NMASS is a three-day festival of creative music, performance art, film, and installations.
Thursday, June 11th – Saturday, June 13th, 2015
Salvage Vanguard Theater
Gearjunkies wrote in to let us know Dick Raaymakers passed away this week on Wednesday Sept 4, 2013. He was a pioneer of electronic music, primarily working with tape producing musique concrete. Below is a video of one of his compositions with Tom Dissevelt posted here on MATRIXSYNTH back in 2009. Be sure to see the Gearjunkies post as well for another video.
via Wikipedia: "From 1954 to 1960 he worked in the field of electro-acoustic research at Royal Philips Electronics Ltd. in Eindhoven. There, using the alias Kid Baltan, he and Tom Dissevelt, under the name Electrosoniks produced works of popular music by electronic means (which turned out to be the first attempts of their kind in the world).[1] From 1960 to 1962 he then worked at the University of Utrecht as a scientific staff member. From 1963 to 1966, together with Jan Boerman, he worked in his own studio for electronic music in the Hague. Then, from 1966 until his retirement in 1995, he worked as a teacher of Electronic and Contemporary Music at the Royal Conservatoire (The Hague) and since 1991 also as a teacher of Music Theatre at the Image and Sound Interfaculty, at the same conservatory..."
Kid Baltan and Tom Dissevelt 1959
Uploaded on Nov 29, 2008 schreu26·39 videos (originally posted here)
Also worth watching: "Intona",a music-theater piece conceived by Dick Raaymakers.
It was performed amongst others on October 17, 1992 at V2_ in 's Hertogenbosch."
Dick Raaijmakers - Intona (Full Version) (1992)
Uploaded on Dec 23, 2010 V2unstable·275 videos
"Intona" is a music-theater piece conceived by Dick Raaymakers. It was performed amongst others on October 17, 1992 at V2_ in 's Hertogenbosch.
Intona is the counterpart of the work Three Ideophones. If in Three Ideophones the loudspeaker has the stage, in Intona, it is the microphone that is given a chance to express itself. In music, microphones are normally used for reproductive ends, i.e., to record music as faithfully as possible. But there is also an alternative use, a more subversive one, stemming from the 1960s, when musicians ripped the stable, fixed microphone from its stand and mobilized it. Pop musicians did this during concerts, but so did composers like Karlheinz Stockhausen, who made a number of microphones move like jet planes according to preset, plotted routes across the surface of a gigantic tom-tom. His intention was to create a new, "open" kind of music by submitting the movements of the microphones to compositional laws, thereby making them part of the whole compositional plan, not as a special effect but as musical instruments. The "microphonist" became an "instrumentalist." If there were a kind of Beaufort scale for measuring a microphone's degree of mobility and expressing it in values 1 to 10, 1 would stand for perfect immobility and stability, and 10 for extreme mobility or even total incorporeality. Numbers 1 and 2 on this scale would be reserved for recording the classical repertoire in all its splendor and glory. Above chamber music ensembles and symphony orchestras, the most sensitive microphones hang like so many motionless leaves on a tree. From this position, they can pick up the slightest sound made by an ensemble and save it for posterity. The mobility of these microphones should ideally tend towards zero. Modern composers like David Tudor, Karlheinz Stockhausen and John Cage would score a 5, 6 or 7. Pop musicians, with their mobile electric guitars and microphones, despite their roughness, stall at just 4. The challenge Intona takes up is to bring the remaining numbers 8, 9 and 10 into the picture. One must realize that at a mobility factor of 10, a microphone will dissolve entirely and disappear into the void. This occurs in Intona, not only as a result of brute implosive or explosive violence -- there's no art in that -- but in the intention of playing the microphone as expertly as possible."
"MIDI Creators and Innovators Alan Parsons, Tom Oberheim, Dave Smith, Jordan Rudess, George Duke and Craig Anderton to Discuss Past, Present and Future of MIDI at 2013 NAMM Show H.O.T Zone Session
Who:
Alan Parsons is British-born audio engineer, musician, and record producer. Parsons has been involved with some of the biggest recordings of all time, including The Beatles Abbey Road and Let It Be, in addition to Pink Floyd's The Dark Side of the Moon. He has been involved in all aspects of the music business and is well known for his own work, The Alan Parson's Project. When not engineering and producing, Mr. Parson's is a highly sought after guest lecturer, product and technology consultant and is the co-creator of the highly- acclaimed educational DVD series called The Art & Science of Sound Recording.
Tom Oberheim is a synthesizer pioneer having created several legendary synths, effects processors, and drum machines as the founder of Oberheim Electronics, Marion Systems, and SeaSound. Oberheim was a key contributor to the original MIDI specification and was an early evangelist of the technology.
Dave Smith was the co-author of the original MIDI specification with Roland's CEO and founder Ikutaro Kakehashi. Mr. Smith was the founder of Sequential Circuits while developing the MIDI specification, and has since developed dozens of synthesizers, drum machines, and effects processors. His current company, Dave Smith Instruments, continues to develop cutting edge MIDI-based instruments that enjoy a worldwide following.
Jordan Rudess, is an American keyboardist, clinician, composer and software entrepreneur best known as the keyboardist in the band Dream Theater and the progressive rock supergroup Liquid Tension Experiment. Rudess is a graduate of the Julliard School of Music and is an extremely well respected consultant to many music instrument companies, and has his own music software company called Wizdom Music, which designs innovative tablet- based musical instruments.
George Duke is a legendary musician, keyboard pioneer, composer, singer and producer in both jazz and popular mainstream musical genres. Duke has composed, produced, and played on dozens of gold and platinum records, received numerous GRAMMY awards, and has toured extensively as a band member, music director, and as a solo artist.
Craig Anderton, is a musician, author and music magazine editor/writer who is well known to anyone who has ever picked up a music technology magazine. As the editor of Electronic Musician and author of hundreds of articles on music technology, Anderton is an esteemed journalist and expert in all aspects of MIDI and MIDI technology.
Tom White, (MC) is the President of the MIDI Manufacturers Association, and a highly- regarded contributor and consultant to several industry trade and technology groups including but not limited to CES, USB, IEEE, AES, IASIG, and as long-standing president of the MMA. White has had a long career in the music industry, including a lengthy period in marketing and business development for Roland Corporation.
What: Panel discussion “MIDI Creators and Innovators” For 30 years, MIDI has been always been at the forefront of music technology even as musical trends changed. Come hear from a star-studded panel of MIDI creators and innovators -- stories and opinions about the past, present, and future of MIDI.
When: Sat. Jan. 26, 2013 11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Where: The NAMM Show, Anaheim Convention Center Room 204B (Inside NAMM H.O.T. Zone)
Presented by the MMA
The MIDI Manufacturers Association (MMA) is a non-profit organization formed in 1985 to encourage companies implementing MIDI to make their products interoperable through compliance with MMA Recommended Practices. MMA publishes the official MIDI Specification, provides education about MIDI, licenses MIDI trademarks, and promotes the use of MIDI technology for new applications and in various industries. For more information, please visit www.midi.org"
"Hollywood, however, had already been utilizing instruments such as the theremin in movie scores for many years, and the first widespread American public exposure to the possibilities of the electronic medium occurred with the 1956 release of MGM's feature film Forbidden Planet. In addition to its elaborate space sets and advanced visual effects, Forbidden Planet featured an exclusively electronic musical score composed by Bebe Barron (b. 1927) and her husband Louis (1920-1989)....
Once they decided on the characters' moods and situations, the couple completed a series of electrical circuits which functioned electronically in ways analogous to the human nervous system. Decisions about the circuitry were strongly influenced by their studies of the science of cybernetics which proposes that certain natural laws of behavior are applicable to both animals and more complex modern machinary. The composers employed their noise-producing circuits to emulate such needed characterizations as serenity, anger, and love....
Bebe and Louis' success signaled the beginning of the effective use of electroacoustic music by the modern movie industry."
via Peter Grenader of Plan b:
"We have lost a bright little little light and a dear friend. Bebe Barron has passed. She has captivated us with her charm, her modesty and her enchanting smile and her memory will remain in our hearts, our art and our spiritforever."
It is with great sadness that I report the death of Bebe Barron on April 20, 2008 at the age of 82, of natural causes. Bebe was the last of the pioneering composers of classical studio electronic music. She was a close friend, an enthusiastic colleague, and a most gracious lady.
Bebe Barron was born Charlotte Wind in Minneapolis, on June 16, 1925. She received an MA in political science from the University of Minnesota, where she studied composition with Roque Cordero, and she also spent a year studying composition and ethnomusicology at the University of Mexico. In 1947 she moved to New York and, while working as a researcher for Time-Life, studied composition with Wallingford Reigger and Henry Cowell. That same year, she met and married Louis Barron (1920 - 1989). Shortly thereafter, the Barrons began their experiments with the recording and manipulation of sound material by means of a tape recorder that they received as a wedding gift. They created a private studio in New York and, in 1955, composed the first electronic music score for a commercial film, Forbidden Planet. In 1962 the Barrons moved to Los Angeles; they divorced in 1970. In 1973, Bebe married Leonard Neubauer, a screen writer. Bebe became the first Secretary of the Society for Electro-Acoustic Music in the United States (SEAMUS) in 1985, and also served on the Board of Directors. In 1997 Bebe was presented the SEAMUS Award for the Barrons life work in the field of electro-acoustic music. She is survived by her husband, Leonard, and her son, Adam.
Bebe’s last public appearance was on January 12, 2008, at an event held at the Hammer Museum in Los Angeles, celebrating the work of her good friend, Anais Nin. Bebe was too ill to speak in public at this point, but she agreed to be interviewed for a video piece that was shown at the event. This is her final interview, and you can see it on YouTube.
Bebe’s final composition, Mixed Emotions (2000) was composed in the CREATE studios of the University of California at Santa Barbara. I'll be putting this work up on the Downloads 2 page of my website, along with some photos of Bebe and myself taken in 2005 at her home on the Photos page within the next week.
I first met Bebe Barron in the middle 1970s; I don't remember exactly when, but I think it was around 1975. I had asked Bebe and her former husband and composing partner Louis to attend a showing of Forbidden Planet that I had arranged as part of a class at CalArts. They agreed to do it, and I quickly became good friends with Bebe and we remained close over the years.
In writing about Bebe Barron, it's impossible not to focus on the pioneering work that she and Louis did in electronic music. They began their experiments in 1948, shortly after they were married. This early work was done using a tape recorder, preceding the work of Luening and Ussachevsky and the switch from disks to tape by Pierre Schaeffer and the GRM. But, to my knowledge, the Barrons' early experiments did not result in any completed works, a state of affairs not uncommon with early pioneers in the field. In 1949 they set up one of the earliest private electro-acoustic music studios and began their experiments with electronically generated sounds. They built their own circuits which they viewed as cybernetic organisms, having been influenced by Norbert Weiner's work on cybernetics. The circuits, built with vacuum tubes, would exhibit characteristic qualities of pitch, timbre, and rhythm, and had a sort of life cycle from their beginnings until they burned out.
The Barrons recorded the sounds from the amplification of these circuits and this formed the basis of their working library. They also employed tape manipulation techniques as part of their compositional procedures. The sound qualities of these various amplified tube circuits and the tape manipulations that they underwent formed the musical language that the Barrons created in their studio. Unlike some of the work being done elsewhere, the Barrons' music reveals long phrases, often stated in tape-delayed rhythms, with the stark finesse of the tube circuit timbres. They created a style that was uniquely their own yet married to the technology they were using.
The Barrons earliest finished work, Heavenly Menagerie (1951) does not seem to have survived in a complete form. But their score for Ian Hugo's film Bells of Atlantis (1952), based on a poem by Anais Nin, who appears on screen, does exist on the film sound track. This may be the earliest extant work of the Barrons and presages what was to come with Forbidden Planet, the music for which was composed in 1955, the film being released the
next year.
The music for Forbidden Planet is truly a landmark in electro-acoustic music. This was the first commercial film to use only electronic music, and the score for the movie displays an attitude towards film scoring that was different from anything that had happened before. In Forbidden Planet, while there are themes for characters and events in the film, as was traditional in the scoring of that day, the themes are composed and perceived as gestalts, rather than as melodies in traditional movie music. Even more important is the fact that the scoring of Forbidden Planet breaks down the traditional line between music and sound effects since the Barrons' electronic material is used for both. This not only creates a new type of unity in the film sound world, but also allows for a continuum between these two areas that the Barrons exploit in various ways. At some points it's actually impossible to say whether or not what you're hearing is music, sound effect, or both. In doing this, they foreshadowed by decades the now common role of the sound designer in modern film and video.
The Barrons composed many other works for tape, film, and the theater in the 1950s. Their studio became the home for John Cage's Project of Music for Magnetic Tape, and they assisted in the creation of Cage's first chance piece Williams Mix (1951-52), as well as works by other members of the group such as Earle Brown and Morton Feldman. As a studio for the creation of their own and other composers' works, the Barrons' studio served as a functioning center for electro-acoustic music at a time when there was no institutional support of the medium in the United States. It's curious, then, that, for many years, the Barrons, their studio, and their works were largely overlooked by composers and historians in the field. Fortunately, that injustice has since been corrected, and, in 1997, it was my great honor to present to Bebe and, posthumously, to Louis, the SEAMUS Lifetime Achievement Award. Bebe was involved with SEAMUS from the very beginning of the organization. She was one of the ten original members who responded to my organizational call and met at CalArts in November of 1984 to form the group, and she was SEAMUS's first secretary. There may have been a little strong-arming on my part to get her to be involved so actively, but Bebe was always ready to support the cause of electro-acoustic music in whatever way she could.
Bebe created a firm legacy in her music. If the importance of one's work is to be judged in any regard by it's influence, acceptance, longevity, and innovative qualities, then the score for Forbidden Planet is an enormous success. It remains the most widely known electro-acoustic music work on this planet. For me, Bebe Barron will always be the First Lady of electronic music." Update: BTW, if you have Netflix, you can watch Forbidden Planet online in IE here.
"THE RAPCOHORIZON COMPANY SHOWCASES
i-JAM 3-n-1 AT THE 2012 NAMM SHOW
ANAHEIM, CA, JANUARY 19, 2012 ― The RapcoHorizon Company, a leading manufacturer of audio/video interfacing and cable equipment, is exhibiting the i-JAM 3-n-1 Smart Phone Interface at the 2012 NAMM Show (Booth 4558, Hall C). The i-JAM 3-n-1 is a three-in-one smart phone solution, ideal for every electric instrument player. In addition to its ability to interface with iPhone apps, such as recording and instructional play software, the i-JAM 3-n-1 also features a built-in amplifier and MP3 play along practice device.
Similar to the company’s i-BLOX, the i-JAM 3-n-1 serves as an audio interface that connects an instrument to iPhone applications. What’s different is that the built-in amplifier affords electronic musicians the ability to render the amplification of their instruments without additional equipment. The MP3 play along feature is also the perfect application for early learners to get their footing.
“Our customers were really excited about the i-JAM 3-n-1’s features when we first exhibited it at last year’s NAMM Show,” says Lucas McCulley, marketing specialist for The RapcoHorizon Company. “For musicians on the go, the i-JAM 3-n-1 has proven to be must-have piece of gear as it combines three interfacing solutions into a singular, portable device.”
To use the built-in amplifier, musicians can simply plug their instrument into the input and connect their basic speakers or headphones to the output jack, turn the interface on and jam away. The integrated circuitry and design of the box provides low noise operations and ensures a rich, clean, smooth sound. The practice amplifier does not require an amplification application but players are welcome to use one of their choosing.
Musicians can also use the built-in amplifier simultaneously with any MP3 player, for practice or small impromptu performances. By connecting their instrument, small speakers or headphones and an MP3 output device, users can play along with their favorite tracked music – whether it is their original work or a song by their favorite artist.
“For on-the-spot auditions, the i-JAM 3-n-1 is a great tool for local artists,” continues McCulley. “Ideal for players novice to expert, it’s an excellent tool to teach or be taught.”
As the most recent addition to The RapcoHorizon Company’s iPhone interfaces, the i-JAM 3-n-1 boasts a sleek aluminum design ready for any wear and tear. An added belt clip allows musicians to safely secure the box to their side, providing maximum portability. The interface operates off a 9Volt easily replaceable battery, which allows for extended play time.
The RapcoHorizon Company, located in Jackson, Missouri, is one of the world’s largest manufacturers and suppliers of audio, video, home theater, data and telecommunications cable in both bulk wire and assemblies. Used worldwide by concert touring sound companies, video and sound contractors, recording studios, system integrators, audiophiles and musicians, The RapcoHorizon Company’s products provide optimal flexibility and premium performance. The company’s state-of-the-art Custom Shop can modify existing products or build new devices to meet any need. For more information, please visit The RapcoHorizon Company’s Web site at www.rapcohorizon.com."
"On June 1st 2019, SynthLab used the Battery Theater at Angels Gate Cultural Center to create an outdoor electronic surround-sound environment with live video art.
instagram - @kittyspit www.soundcloud.com/kittyspit
"Matt Sharp, singer for The Rentals, joins us for the next installment of Category 5 while on tour in support of Lost In Alphaville, the first Rentals LP in 15 years. Listen to Matt as he talks about being on the road, The Pleasure Principle and his affinity for vintage Moog Sources. Category 5 is a new interview series that derives its name from the cables used to enable modern digital communications.
"The 2nd installment of Category 5, our new interview series named after the cables used to enable modern digital communications ( i.e. we record the series via Skype & iPhone ) features Matt Sharp, the mastermind behind synth heavy alt-pop band The Rentals. Matt and the band are on tour in support of Lost In Alphaville, the first Rentals LP in 15 years. Dive into the mind of the former Weezer bass player as he ruminates on Gary Numan, vintage synths and The Pleasure Principle.
Tonight, June 5th, Moog Music and Goldenvoice are co-presenting The Rentals live at Los Angeles' original art deco theater, the El Rey. The Moog team will be at the show to celebrate with a Moog synth station, audible visuals and Moog swag.
Click here if you would like to purchase tickets to the event."
"Xavier van Wersch (NL 1976) obtained a degree in Sonology at the Royal Conservatory in The Hague after having studied visual arts and philosophy. His work reflects an organical approach to the field of electronic music. In his compositions, performances and installations there is always an element of controlled chaos. He explores the relation between man and machine by conceiving the two of them together as hybrid systems in which erratic behaviour is the principal condition for interaction. Another common theme in his work is recycling. Like a modern Frankenstein, van Wersch constructs his machinery from parts of deceased equipment and disfunctional devices.
To balance his usually rather noisy live performances, van Wersch produces more beat-oriented tracks under the alias 'xaf'. As a sound designer he worked with a.o. Nederlands Dans Theater, Icelandic National Ballet / Maska Ljubljana, the Poni Collective and Ivana Müller. He is the director and founder of re.Bug, an organisation that supports and develops projects in which art, technology and ecology meet. After a 4 year stay in Belgium, van Wersch now lives in Hungary. He has been invited to teach at Novus School of Arts in Budapest and is currently setting up a studio in the school.
"StarWaves is an audiovisual sound architect, the embodiment of sound, space and visual design rolled into one. Presented by sonicPlanet www.sonicplanet.com, it is a move towards the next generation of sound design apps.
Available for OSX and iPad (Windows version later), minimum hardware requirements : for iOS an 2019 iPAD (8th gen or pro) or newer, for OSX a recent Mac (2019 i7 or M1)"
via the user manual on SonicPlanet:
StarWaves is an audiovisual scene architect, the embodiment of sound, space and visual design rolled into one.
StarWaves gives the sound designer the architect’s role by creating possibilities of dialogue between these multiple elements.
IN THE MAKING OF SONIC ARCHITECTURES StarWaves can import the sonic material in its concrete form as recorded files. Then this digital data is being represented as 3D rigid physical forms in space. We name them “the platform blocks” distributed spatially, a structure which stems from the sonic material being imported. There can be 100s of them, reaching the granular levels of sonic material. The layout of the platforms can be designed with 3D tools like positioning, rotation; they can be stretched, bent, scattered along their physical dimensions in continuous transformations.
As Goethe wisely stated : the architecture itself is 'frozen music'. How do we interact with this architecture to create the sonic textures ?
We know that sound travels as waves in an environment. It originates from a source and travels towards a distance, then interacts with the surface material of the environmental objects, gets
SONICPLANETTM reflected, refracted, and absorbed within all the physical reality of its nature, granting a flexible relation to spatiality.
Sound remains as a hidden existence until it reaches our body. StarWaves uses on its scene the transmitters which send particles and beams of light to the space ( reminiscent to particle behavior of light or sound ) They hit the platform blocks ( representing the sonic material ) get reflected and collide with further objects, travel in distance until they die.
The time they collide with these rigid bodies they trigger sonic events and start a flow of synthesis processes. It is this continuous kinematic interaction, this physical realm which composes the sonic being and applies continuous transformations on its texture.
