Permeation; a film by Arius Blaze Kickstarter Campaign

Arius Blaze is the man behind Folktek.

Via the Kickstarter campaign.

"a film by Arius Blaze about the creative body and the beauty, obsession and ugliness of it

The film you see here is not a trailer but a teaser and a test film created by some of the crew of Permeation with actor Hank Logan. The space shown is is the actual raw space rented for a major portion of the film and will be essentially rebuilt.

We appreciate your help in making this film a reality. If you can help, there are some great things to be offered in return. If you can't donate to the cause, perhaps you know someone who would like to so please pass it on and that will be help enough. Many thanks in advance!


About the film (concept and premise)

Permeation is a film enveloped by the creative body, and by that, is itself a manifestation of the very idea; that the creative body is something alive, which, like us, seeks to not only exist but to thrive. Sometimes through painting, through sound, through film...

An artist creates a "body of work", Is permeated by the work itself. Becomes the body.

And with that we, the artists, consider ourselves the creators, naturally.

But consider the creative body; a living thing in itself, seeking to create...a body...of work.

And the artist; an outlet for something which needs an outlet to thrive.

Permeation proposes that an artist is not necessarily only himself. That an artist in solitude can create a "body of work" but not without he, himself, becoming an expression of the "creative body", thereby becoming a part of a "body of work" in his own right and at his own origin. The artist becomes the paint brush of a living organism we call the "creative body".

_______

That said, either at it's root or superficially, the film is a love story about an artist living in solitude who falls in love with a woman who becomes obsessed with the body of work he creates. In the end, she becomes absorbed by the creative body and literally becomes the artist's work. A love story which is inherently dark.

This is a feature length film with a professional cast and crew, co-written, directed and scored by artist Arius Blaze with a story based on an unpublished novel written by Arius.

_______

Who is Arius Blaze?

Arius is a 34 year old artist known mostly for his work over the past 13 years in the instrumental sound arts (under the current name folktek; see folktek.com). Though he's also an inventor, painter, writer and composer who's now venturing deeper into film making.

His art has a certain aesthetic that is evident in his instruments but also extends into the rest of his work. That being something naturally old and dark, verging on colorless, somewhat experimental and yet often rather strange and beautiful..."

See Kickstarter here for additional details.

Folktek "Sound Field"

Note: links to listings are affiliate links for which the site may be compensated.

via this auction
Folktek on eBay (RSS)

"Built in the style of the Impossible Box with custom lamps, keys and switches, all cloth covered cable patch cables, labeled and brass framed panels all built into the custom oak case with internal power supply. Designed to act as a standalone acoustic electronic bio-feedback workstation capable of entire lush compositions. All sections have tip connectors specific to the sound field, and/or each section features a standard 1/4" in and out to allow them to be used to process, sample, mangle or transform any external audio. The cloth covered cables included are also stackable to allow for a range of other possibilities. All CV control jacks are 3.5mm.

The central processing section is essentially a time machine - a piece designed to heavily alter captured loops in thousands of way by use of a magnetic patchbay with patchable keys. This section has 3 voltage clock and/or LFO voltage signals which can be used to synch the other sections via CV, or sent out to control external modular synthesis. Additionally, the 1/4" "tap out" can be sent to any equipment that recieves tap signals, or as a simple method to convert to a midi clock.

There are four acoustic elements - two garden panels, a stringed section reminiscent of the mobius harmonizer and a textured blank panel which can be used to capture micro sounds. Any of these acoustic sections can be sent into any of the other panels for processing/sampling, or they can be sent into the four channel mixer.

The mixer amplifies the signals and allows for volume control of each to be sent into any of the following;

the delay section provides delays from extremely tight to about 1.5 seconds with near endless repeats - like that ofthe micro garden. It also accepts control voltage from either the time machine section or any external CV to control on/off and time.

The wave reverb section provides lush waves like that of theLuminist Garden, but also switchable to provide analog delay like that of the illuminist Garden. It also features CV in to control on/off and has decay when switched off so there are no sudden stops in the wave. The time machine CV out will activate and deactivate the reverb in time if patched to the clocks.

The Filter section has mix, resonance and frequency control and CV in to control the frequency - also patchable from the time machine for synchronization.

The result is a piece that's capable of entire fields of sound and deep, rich and layered compositions.

Aside from the Impossible Box (Arius' own studio piece), this is the finest work by Mr Blaze to date.

Includes manual of operation and the cloth covered power cable runs to standard US style plug - outside the US will need a plug converter.

sounds will be added to the folktek site asap."

Update: some sound demos:

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Folktek Arts Time Machine

via Folktek Arts

"Preliminary photos of the Time Machine by Arius Blaze - this being a small series of identical pieces. Dub delay and sampler/looper with Bjillions of methods for altering samples or instant remixing. Oak, bakelite, custom switches and Brass Keys all patchable via magnetic patchbay. Multiple clock outputs and tap tempo out (a simple method for connection to midi). A pleasure. Will be added to the site with better photos (and hopefully some video) soon."

Folktek on eBay (RSS)

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Folktek Mobius Harmonizer #1 = as created and played by Arius Blaze

Published on Mar 21, 2013 Sir Folktek·62 videos - video by Big Pauper

"A piece by Arius Blaze based on the original feedback harmonizer (http://folktek.com/instruments/electr...) , expanded upon in interesting ways.
Though shot well (thanks to Big Pauper), both mobius videos fail to capture the broader scope of capabilities and sounds. For more sound, photos and words go to the folktek site; folktek.com
or go directly to the Mobius Harmonizer page; http://folktek.com/instruments/electrocoustic/mobius-harmonizer"

Folktek Mobius Harmonizer #2 = as created and played by Arius Blaze, video by Big Pauper


Folktek on eBay

via Folktek:

"The Mobius is a concept piece designed to allow the playing of an acoustic sound source in an electronic way. Essentially, synthesis from acoustics similar in nature to the way the Folktek Garden series generates lush waves from micro sound.

The Mobius features four strings with a fretless soundboard driven into a delay capable of extremely tight, notated delay, to about a second and a half of near endless looping. The delay travels into pitch shifting, out to an amplifier that runs an internal spring reverb and back into the delay.
The pitch shifter can subtly or drastically shift the pitch to a great degree and has six playable keys designed to shift the incoming signal. Keys are additive so playing more that one at a time results in different pitch arrangements which allow for different combinations of pitch control within the master pitch (controlled by a master pitch knob). The original signal from the delay can be mixed with the shifted signal for more harmonic dynamics or played dry all together.

The spring reverb is not an overwhelming reverb but is instead designed to add depth and resonance to the sound - creating deeper, crystalline waves or generating waves of feedback. In longer delay modes where the repeats are near endless, the reverb will swell with each repeat, which generates, for examples, gradual waves where there once were very specific strong attack notes. Play with a bow adds an entirely new sound and dramatasizes the reverb feedback. There is an independant level control for the amplifier that runs the spring reverb.

In addition, there are 1/8" CV (+5v control Voltage) jacks to control delay time and pitch to synchronize with analog/modular synthesizers.

The result is an expansive work with a rich sound capable of endless sonic possibilties"

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year everyone!!!  I hope 2012 treated you well and I wish you the best in 2013!

As I do each year, I thought I'd reflect a little on the past year.  These posts are always difficult to write, and I always wing them, so bear with me.  It's impossible to justify a whole year's worth of synth coverage in a single post.  The following is just a small bit of what comes to mind when looking back.  You'll find a top ten list of posts with the most page views followed by my picks for the year further below.  Apologies if I miss anything, and of course, if you have anything to add, feel free to leave a comment below.  I'm curious what you, the readers of the site, felt stood out in the world of synths this past year.

First, I want to begin this post with a HUGE THANK YOU!!!  If you are reading this it obviously means you have come to this site and some of you have been coming here for years! Thank you for sticking with me. This site is a journey I hope to continue for years to come. Thank you to everyone that has taken the time to showcase their synths, and thank you to those that share what they find! Thank you to those that link to the site and help spread the word on MATRIXSYNTH via Twitter, Facebook, Google+ and your own websites! And of course, THANK YOU to all the sponsors on the right who believe in the site enough to support it!

A nod to previous New Years posts, pictured to the left is the MATRIXSYNTH world domination map. :)  I always think it's worth taking a look at who's watching the site.  Synths are global and you are looking at a map of the readers of MATRIXSYNTH.  Everything you see in green represents a visit from that country.  The darker the green, the higher the number of visits.  This is just for the year, but for the life of the site, we still haven't gotten a single hit from North Korea!   I don't know what they have against synths!  ;)   You'll find the top 10 visits by country further below.

This is the eighth New Year the site has gone through!  The focus for the site this year has been the same as previous years, and I plan to keep it that way.  This site is about showcasing specific synths, not just synths in general, and not just news and press releases.  The focus is on the individual synths that have existed throughout history, the technology behind them, and the lives they lead with their odd owners, myself included.  :)  Yes it is about the gear, their makers, and their players.  It has always been my opinion that synths in general have a tendency to be undervalued. Compared to say collectible guitars, they are often discarded and devalued in favor of next year's model, next year's technology.  It has always been my opinion that every synth has something of value to offer,  something specific and something unique that gives it its character. I built this site to showcase that.  This site is about the history of synths as their history unfolds - videos and images of synths being played and used, by both those that make them and those that play them.  Vintage synths being offered in the second hand market, being exchanged from one sonic explorer to the next. It really is a wondrous thing. Think of the magic synthesizers bring into your world. That is what this site is ultimately about.  Some posts may not seem to make sense now, but they will in time, because they will be a look back in time. A day in the life of a particular synthesizer.  I love analog and I love digital. I love all synths and this site celebrates that.

And now for a little reflection on the year. This year we had a total of 16678 posts including this one.  That comes out to roughly 45.69 posts a day.  Not a single day of the year went without a post.  So what dominated the synth year?  Mobile, modulars and a few dedicated hardware synths.

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One of One Modular Electro-Acoustic Masterwork by ARIUS BLAZE of FOLKTEK

Note: links to listings are affiliate links for which the site may be compensated.

via this auction

Check out the price.

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Folktek Luminist Garden

Note: links to listings are affiliate links for which the site may be compensated.
via eBay UK

"Very Rare Folktek Luminist Garden Synth Circuit Bent Synthesiser -Hand Made by Arius Blaze


http://folktek.blogspot.co.uk/2011_08_01_archive.html

http://folktek.blogspot.co.uk/2010/01/luminist-garden.html

http://folktek.blogspot.co.uk/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hkcD0bDBr6c

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c_AWM1H1rIA&feature=relmfu

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cWFrzBRFexM&feature=relmfu

Comes with a hand written manual by Arius Blaze Plus a Correct Power Adapter.

Purchased for a long term project that never materialised properly -used very little.

Nice Condition --the Copper Plate on top does have discolouration from use - ( this will happen after s short time as you tap the copper plate with fingers ! )"

Folktek Impossible Box to Cost 1 Million Dollars

Note: links to listings are affiliate links for which the site may be compensated.
Remember the Folktek Impossible Box posted here? It looks like it's going to run a whopping one meeeeellyon dollars. Don't forget the little pinky. Maybe it will come with one.

"For those wondering...yes it is for sale. The price is 1 million US dollars. Funding goes toward the evolution of the work of Arius Blaze"

Folktek on eBay

Folktek Impossible Box preliminaria

via Folktek

Here are some preliminary photos of the masterwork by Arius Blaze, for Arius Blaze co-missioned after a year and then some of haggling over the details. It is entitled "Impossible Box". There are reasons for this, none of which will be presently disclosed.

What is it? What does it do? What does it sound like? Many many questions, none of which will be thoroughly answered in this preliminary post. geometric frequencies, resonant synthesis, general auditory deliciousness. Consider this tantalizing eye candy before the main course. Please by all means, click the photos and see them be bigger and go to folktek.com for updates."

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Folktek Arts Record Cutter (Lathe)

via Folktek Arts
Folktek on eBay (RSS)

"Record Cutter (Lathe) constructed by me (Arius Blaze). The plinth (box) and top panel are creamy and delicious walnut with oak splines, DB meter to check incoming level, heated stylus with milla-amp meter and adjustment control, stand-off motor with adjustable belt tension, built-on heat lamp, rek-o-kut cutterhead assembly with freshly re-wound Audax cutterhead, cork covered platter, antique silver ins and connections and all cloth covered cables.

First cuts have proven successful. This will be used in the production of short run record releases for my upcoming label "Folktek Records" - be on the lookout."

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Folktek Arts Drone Scape X

via the Folktek Arts Blog where you will find more details, shots and samples. "The Drone Scape is a new work by Arius Blaze. This particular piece ("X") is one of a series of four identical works built into extremely tough and beautiful vintage cases. As the name implies, it is intended specifically for a broad range of drone - from lo-fi to extremely rich and lush, similar in nature to the Drum Scape series, though also quite different from any other folktek work. On the other hand, it's also capable of glitch, bleeps and blips, odd beats, shifting arpeggiation and all varieties of noise." Folktek on Ebay

Folktek Time Scape and Scape Sequencer by Arius Blaze

YouTube via benpumpkin. Folktek on Ebay
"The Folktek Time Scape with the Scape Sequencer as built, played, recorded and filmed and edited by Arius Blaze. The audio is multitracked, utilizing the standalone feedback for wave generation as well as processing a small portion of a mix by Dr Auratheft called "Nomads and Monades" (highly recomended). No cutting or further computer processing was done - just 4 tracks interwoven. The video is filmed as the audio is recorded and is perhaps a bit wildstyle with the editing but they seem to work well together. More info on the Time scape, Scape Sequencer and all other Folktek works at folktek.blogspot.com, folktek.com and ariusblaze.com. A new site will be up soon, but for now - enjoy!"

NOT NAMM: Folktek The Luminist Garden

via the Folktek Arts blog where you will find more images, samples and info.

"The Luminist Garden created by Arius Blaze. This work is an expanded version of the Micro Garden, capable of making lush choral waves and entire compositions as a standalone work.
The expanded soundboard has multiple pick ups that run into the delay - which offers time settings from extremely tight notated repeats to about 1.5 seconds with undecaying feedback that essentially acts as a looper allowing one to make beats by tapping the board and plucking or rubbing the strings.
The delay runs into a very lush and unusual reverb that has the ability to act more as a wave generator, creating waves that can endlessly extend and are based on the original note but with the ability to pitch shift the feedback, resulting in something like the NI effect called "convolution".
The result is rich electronic music from an accoustic source. Sweet ambience. Stereo out, custom lamps and switch, runs on supplied 9v power. The price is 850 and they are built to order."

Time Scape Wave Sequencer preliminaria

YouTube via benpumpkin. Folktek on Ebay
"This is a brief preliminary video meant to be a visual presentation (not a sonic one) of the "Time Scape Wave Sequencer" by Arius Blaze of Folktek. There will be more to come. enjoy"

Folktek Time Scape Wave Sequencer

via the Folktek Arts blog where you will find more images.
Folktek on Ebay
"A brand new masterwork by Arius Blaze. The "Time Scape Wave Sequencer" is a sampler, processor and synthesizer with a built in 8 step sequencer. The touch board controls the polyphonic synth part which can be fed through delay or any combination of thousands of possibilities for wave shaping as well as the possibility of having the shape altered in time with the sequencer."

Folktek Arts New Time Machine Collaboration

via the Folktek Arts blog where you will find more images.

"Fresh out of the lab a new co-mission collaboration by Ben Houston and Arius Blaze."

Folktek Time Scape Sequencer by Arius Blaze

YouTube via benpumpkin
"First, thank you for the support of FOLKTEK and be sure to check our blog where you can keep up with our doings if you feel: folktek.blogspot.com...New work by Arius Blaze. This piece allows for thousands of methods of automated sample fuqwithing. Everything from sample stutters, granulation, modulation and bursts of noise etc. Of course it also doubles as a very sweet dub style echo. The range is insane and could not be captured proper in our short videos. In the videos, for the most part, the patches are set according to what I had been playing with prior. The keys are patchable and each part of the sequence is patchable. Time range is from .005 to about 5.5 sec with a noticably lower quality toward about the 3.5 sec mark. This work is expensive but it is also available. More photos and more info on the bloog and the site"

via the Folktek blog where you will find more info.

"Glitch Hive" a Folktek Instrument by Ben Houston

via this auction
"Welcome to the work of Folktek. Creators of fine musical instruments and sonic anomilies. Please also see our other auctions if there is more than one instrument up.

For information regarding Folktek artists, Arius Blaze and Ben Houston, including portfolios, sounds and many more works please visit the website we wish looked a bit more polished. One of these Days... : folktek.com
For a link to our youtube videos check http://youtube.com/user/benpumpkin

For a direct link to the"glitch Hive
"page of the folktek site including more information, and more photoes please visit Here
and if you'd like to join our friends list at myspace: folktek myspace

This custom piece is part of a folktek series entitled "philanthropoid"". Known simply as the Bug series. Also in the series on the site and around the world is the Mantis, dronescape sequencer,the book of sound, the moth, the growling insect, the bug, the octa-hedra, walking stick, pendulum translator and others. The sound is phenomenol and continues to amaze us. It is a sonic symphony of nasty and grimy sweetness, endless layers of sound possibilities emenating from High quality OSC originally based on high tech speech synthesis. Seemingly random bits can be rediscovered time and time again and then there are those moments that you will most likely never rediscover. Endlessly captivating, this piece WILL provide sounds that you will not find in other synthesizers and will astonish you every time you turn it on.

This particular piece features four patchable knobs, and a twelve point magnetic patchbay. This allows you to determine function and provides tons of flexibility. In addition, two more knobs (global knob control and power kill) , glowing lamp power indicator , 2 folktek button/switches for activate and freeze mode sections, reset, 1/4" output, basic manual of function and layout. You'll be able to cipher through waveforms and textures with extreme sensitivity in thousands of ways. Waveforms (individual, or multiple layers) can be captured and maintained, often intermodulating in beautiful and/or disturbing ways. Super sensitive knobs let you filter through tons of sounds and glitchscapes. Albums are waiting to be created here as the sound is quite different from anything else you'll find.."

Big City Music to Offer Foltek Instruments

"From somewhere underground in Portland Oregon Arius Blaze and Ben Houston are creating some wildly interesting instruments. The Folktek pieces are truly unique in every way. Each one is hand crafted by the artists and is a one of a kind. Most of their instruments are crafted into beautiful antique boxes too. These are not your typical circuit bent instruments. The way you can "play" them varies tremendously and Folktek offers some alternative user interaction with their pieces. Check back with us as we will get more pieces soon."
http://bigcitymusic.com via the Big City Music blog.

Folkteck "Arachnid"

images at this auction

"Welcome to the work of Folktek. Please also see our other auctions.

= For information regarding the artist Arius Blaze go to: ariusblaze.com
____________________
= For information regarding Folktek artists including portfolios, sounds and many more works please visit:
folktek.com
________________
= For a direct link to the "arachnid" page of the folktek site including more information, sound samples and more photos please visit: http://ariusblaze.com/soundart/melano/arachnid.html
___________________
= If you'd like to join our friends list at myspace:folktek myspace
___________________
= To see our growing video collection of folktek works go to:
http://www.youtube.com/user/benpumpkin"

The Arachnid is a part of the filanthropod, meanogaster and bug series.

There is a video of the arachnid being played here:

-Arachnid- Folktek instrument by Arius Blaze

"Patchable synth from Folktek going mad chaotic. This is one example of what any of the patchable folktek filantropoid/bug series is capable of...These works are incredibly vast and full of possibility for strange and beautiful sounds on the chaotic end of things - more video examples of other instruments within the same series on our vid page. Note the blue tri-speaker in this video - a custom job by Ben Houston that sounds delicious and looks beautiful! see website for more details Folktek.com and ariusblaze.com"

This piece is part of the bug series, an ongoing body of work. Also in the series is the dronescape sequencer, the growling insect, the bug, walking stick and a many others. The sound is phenomenol and continues to amaze us. It is a sonic symphony of nasty and grimy sweetness, endless layers of sound possibilities emenating from High quality OSC originally based on high tech speech synthesis. Seemingly random bits can be rediscovered time and time again and then there are those moments that you will most likely never rediscover.

The main controls for altering the synthesis are 4 patchable knobs, 2 alternate knobs to control voltage and primary patch sensitivity, 2 patch points per knob with two having a common which allows the player to patch one or both sides, and a 12 point patchbay to arrange your controls however you'd like allowing extreme flexibility over the controls and sound. The battery pack is built into the box. The box is at least 100 years old and was originally designed for shock therapy.

You'll be able to cipher through waveform and textures with extreme sensitivity in thousands of ways. Waveforms (individual, or multiple layers) can be captured and maintained, often intermodulating in beautiful and/or disturbing ways. Albums are waitng to be created here as the sound is quite different from anything else you'll find.

People have also had results using these works as control voltage in modular synth setups.

There are 2 switch button combos that are the primary activating and wave lock controls. One is intended to activate waves either as a button or a switch, the other to capture waves or change the mode. This piece has a 1/4" output, battery pack, eye lamp.

This is one of the more extensive pieces and a fine work for generating some of the strangest sounds imaginable. This series of synthesizers make sounds that no other synth does. period.

The work in the photo is the original arachnid. There have been three total arachnids created by request. This is number three and looks slightly different but has the same 100 year old shock therapy box and same general layout. It has exactly the same controls and potential."