The 7th track for #jamuary2025. A snow storm got me stuck at home for the weekend, while fires are raging on the west coast. This was the context in which I composed and produced this track, and why I actually named this instead of the usual "jamuary X 2025" format I've used on previous tracks. Because of the ice, I was also able to spend a ridiculous amount of time on this one, especially as far as composition, sound design and arrangement goes (but still ran out of time to do the mastering, so it is a raw mix, mostly)

Continuing from the previous track is the use of filter on the bass line (Moog instead of TB-303) and distortion (fire) on some analog synths (done with a Roland Space Echo RE200, Boss DS-1), in this case contrasting some of the digital synth ice (Korg Prophecy, Sequential Circuits Prophet VS). Other synths include a Solina string ensemble, an Octave Cat, a Minikorg, a Jupiter 8 (JP08) and a Vocoder. Finally, the improv lead is played on a Sequential Circuits Six Trak.

Fire and Ice (Jamuary 13)

Canadian Polyglot and polymath living in North Carolina, Francois is Head of Dion Research by day, & artist, maker of instruments & effects, musician, photographer & sound engineer by night.

His interest in music started at a very young age when he studied classical piano and electronics, both of these things would be quite influential on his future work.

He started composing electronic music as a kid in the early 80s and experimenting with sampling on an Apple //e, and would later use the Amiga, Apple IIgs and on the PC, the Gravis Ultrasound wavetable soundcard, and would publish soundbanks for it. Today, most of his music is done without computers, on modular synths and effects built by him, along with some commercial synths and effects.

From 1988 to 1997, he hosted a show on electronic music from its beginning in the early 20th century all the way to modern electronica, and the history of it and the technology that enabled it. He also did a stint at the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation and Videoway / Videotron in Montreal.

In parallel with that, he would continue releasing music through various media, including digital media before MP3 files (through MP2 and ADPCM WAV files on Hyperreal, IUMA etc). In those 30 years to now, he has produced an average of ~1 album (EP or full) a year

Fire and Ice (Jamuary 13)

Francois Dion