Synth Investigation

DEVOUR (rmx)

Buddha Machine1

St Patricks Cathedral - Full Version

This is a live recording made on 18th October 2016 at the Melbourne Town Hall at a concert where students from RMIT sound programs were invited to compose a work for the grand organ which is capable of being controlled over MIDI. The concert was recorded on a SoundField ambisonic system and decoded to stereo for this document. 

This piece is derived entirely from the overtones of a low C (32.703 hz to be precise). In "Corrective Services" the electronics serve to present these overtones at their precise "natural" pitch whilst the organ attempts (and for the most part fails) to present these harmonies in equal temperament. The dissonances you hear in the piece are the result of the discrepancies between the equal tempered approximations and the pure natural ratios presented by the organ's electronic "double". For instance the centre of the piece is dominated by the entirely standard chord C E G A# which are the approximations of the 4th 5th 6th and 7th harmonics of C. In equal temperament the 7th (A#) is just a straight sharpened A but in overtone tuning the A# is closer to only a quartertone sharp. In general the prime numbered harmonics of any pitch are the ones that are most deviant with regard to equal temperament. Accordingly they are a constant focus in this and other works of mine. This piece hones in on the 7th (A#), 11th (F#) and 13th (G#)harmonics especially as they are most "alienated" from the "corrections" implied by equal temperament. Gradually through this piece the harmonic series is compressed down to 0.2 of its "natural" proportions, becoming the rising scales you hear at the very end. Simultaneously although most of the piece to that point has been focused on the overtones of C the electronic "double" of the organ appears to believe the instrument is now tuned to the overtones of F# which means that pitches like C and E and G now are grotesquely out of tune when previously they were the only pitches where organ and electronics agreed on matters of intonation.

"Corrective Services" for organ and electronics (live recording)

Sonic Cubism - Oscillating Fan sketch

Extract from one-man show FATHER FIGURE: MY LIFE AS A DADDY BEAR. Spoken word performance as part of the Queerstories series at Giant Dwarf in Sydney, Australia on 24 March, 2017. For more information on Queerstories and other podcasts, go to http://giantdwarf.com.au/podcasts/?prog=fdc40dcd-2ff7-4830-a609-a72e004aaabf.

Queerstories

Kerry Bashford: Excerpt from FATHER FIGURE: MY LIFE AS A DADDY BEAR

~ Terre Thaemlitz, Ewan Jensen, Efdemin, Beatrice Dillon and Call Super, Pantha du Prince, CiM, Rings around Saturn, DJ Stingray, Andras ~

Dancing_and_crying

Additive synth

I work alone under various aliases including the dark ambient project called Wolftöne ("Wolf tones" are resonance phenomena that cause problems with stringed instruments in particular), and the oblique, undanceable, prime-number obsessed take on techno called Vulf Turner. I also perform in an as yet unnamed live electronic drone project with Dave Coen (Whitehorse/Sow Discord/Hans Harms). 

I have plans as well for a queer political music and language outfit to be called HPDL (Homosexual Panic Defense League) and a side project as a hard sexy but minimal techno duo called Hunter Green.

I'm also active as a painter and installation artist with 5 solo exhibitions so far over the past decade. 

Works of mine can be seen at http://keithwclancy.tumblr.com/

I make little distinction between the aims and processes of the painting and installation projects, indeed most projects share essential procedural and formal characteristics with either another painting series or another series of sound  works. 





"Corrective Services" for organ and electronics (live recording)

Keith W Clancy

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