modular

recording patches before they disappear forever...

eurorack modular ambient with ModSeq, STO, and FX6

Defectum (live)

Suzanne Ciani
Buchla Concerts 1975
FKR082LP
Finders Keepers Records

Finders Keepers invite you to witness the incredible first ever Buchla synthesiser concerts/demonstrations providing a distinctive feminine alternative to The Silver Apples Of The Moon if they had ever been presented in phonographic form. This is history in the remaking.

This spring Finders Keepers Records are proud to release an archival project that not only redefines musical history but boasts genuine claim to the overused buzzwords such as pioneering, maverick, experimental, groundbreaking and esoteric, while questioning social politics and the evolution of music technology as we’ve come to understand it. To describe this records as a game-changer is an understatement. This record represents a musical revolution, a scientific benchmark and a trophy in the cabinet of counter culture creativity. This record is a triumphant yardstick in the synthesiser space race and the untold story of the first woman on the proverbial moon. While pondering the early accolades of this record it’s daunting to learn that this record was in fact not a record at all… It was a manifesto and a gateway to a new world, that somehow never quite opened. If the unfamiliar, modernistic, melodic, pulses, tones and harmonics found on this 1975 live presentation/grant application/educational demonstration had been placed in a phonographic context alongside the promoted work of Morton Subotnick, Walter Carlos or Tomita then the name Suzanne Ciani and her influence would have already radically changed the shape, sound and gender of our record collections. Hopefully there is still chance.

In short, Suzanne was a self-imposed twenty-year-old employee of the Buchla modular synthesiser company, San Francisco’s neck and neck contender to New York’s Moog. Buchla was run by a community of festival freaks and academic acid eaters whose roots in new age lifestyles and the reinvention of art and music replaced the business acumen enjoyed by its likeminded East Coasters. In the eyes of the consumer the creative refusal to adopt rudimentary facets like a piano keyboard controller rendered the Buchla synthesiser the more obscure stubborn sister of the synth marathon, steering these incredible units away from the mainstream into the homes and studios of free music aficionados, art house composers and die-hard revolutionaries. Championed and semi-showcased by composer Morton Subotnick on his albums The Bull and Silver Apples Of The Moon, Buchla’s versatility began to open the minds of a new generation, but the high-end design features and no-compromise modus operandi was often confused with incompatibility and, in the pulsating shadow of Moog’s marketing, the revolution would not be televised nor patronised. Suzanne Ciani, as one of the very few female composers on the frontline (and also providing the back line) did not lose faith.

These “concerts” are the epitome of rare music technology historic documents, performed by a real musician whose skills and academic education in classical composition already outweighed her male synthesiser contemporaries of twice her age. At the very start of her fragile career these recordings are nothing short of sacrificial ode to her mentor and machine, sonic pickets of the revolution and love letters to an absolutely genuine vision of and ‘alternative’ musical future. In denouncing her own precocious polymathmatic past in a bid to persuade the world to sing from a new hymn sheet, Suzanne Ciani created a bi-product of never before heard music that would render the pigeon holes “ambient” and “futuristic” utterly inadequate. Providing nothing short of an entirely different feminine take on the experimental “records” of Morton Subotnick and proving to a small, judgmental audience and jury the true versatility of one of the most radical and idiosyncratic musical instruments of the 20th century. These recordings have not been heard since then.

Suzanne Ciani - Buchla Concerts 1975 (Excerpts)

Sonus

Link to the video of the patch, recorded in one take here: https://vimeo.com/139872178

download the free wave file :-)

Patch experiment using the Noise Engineering Variatic Erumption x 2, and Minigorille CV graphic modules x 2. Clock output from the Tiptop Circadian Rhythms into the CV Graphic input 1, left side (purple). Then another output from the TipTop CR taken to the right side (siliver) CV Graphic module. Output 4 from the Tiptop CR sent to the left side Variatic Erumption (ext gate to the hit jack input) which would send very slow burst of random gates. The CV Graphic CV output (PONG sequencer mode 2) A and B would output bouncing ball like CV voltages to the Variatic Erumption CV Pattern, and Time/Division input. This created some very organic scattered sequencing taking one output that was triggering a Snazzy Fx Ardcore running custom frac drums patch.

The other output was running into a trigger input on the Mutable instruments clouds, which is causing the light granular scattering in between the beats. Another output from the V.E. running into the Noise Engineering Basimilus Iteritas, for the FM pluck like percussion sound. Next output from VE running into a 4ms RCD, random triggering spaced out burst to the clock input. From here, the output was taken (4)out to the MakeNoise Optomix set slightly open, which was running a ALM's new "Akemie's Castle" dual voltage controlled oscillator, running out the chord output (OSC A). From the Akemie's Castle the output is going into a Tiptop Z-DSP processed with the The Halls of Valhalla card running program 7 (Asgard). Mult output also taken to the Strymon Big Sky pedal running in "Chorale" mode mix completely wet for delicate melodic swells. Making the rich choral timbres. Another gate output from the Noise Engineering V.E. running into the Mutable Instruments (mystery) module. Output from here sent to the Qu-Bit RT-60 effect module, which is also being triggered (for effects program change) via by the 5 division output from the 4ms Rotating Clock Divider.

Kick drum created using the MakeNoise telHarmonic module, running into a Optomix. Snare and hi-hat sounds courtesy of two Ladik D-333 Rom players. One running the Snares card, and another running hi-hats. Both outputs being summed into the Synthrotek DLY module. The delay input being modulated by a modcan QuadLFO output 1 slow S&H. First sequenced notes via the Mutable instruments Braids running the new "HARM" additive harmonics mode. The quantization was set to "Oinian". Second Braids for other harmony running the "OPSK" smooth sine like melody, VCA mode set to on, with short decay for pluck like quality. Signal for both braids are being sent to another Qu-Bit RT-60 running program number 1-Reverb. Quantization set to "Oinian". Bassline sound created with a Intellijel Shapeshifter output 1, then being run into intellijel uVCF filter in LPF input, then the signal goes out a Qu-Bit RT-60 in program 1 Reverb. 

Ascension - Modular Patch

Entelechy Totem

Link to the video captured here in real-time: https://vimeo.com/150015591

Patch Notes:

This was a patch experiment using the new Mutable Instruments Rings/Clouds Modules, and trying to create strumming/plucking guitar like sounds within a patch. The inspiration came from playing around with the Clouds Parasites 1.3 alternate firmware running in the Resonator mode highlighting the "scatter" (or strum) function. The master clock was the Tiptop Circadian Rhythms module, taking the first 4 outputs into my Nord Drum 2 for the Kick, snare, closed and open hi-hats. From there the clock output from the CR was multiplied and then sent to the Modcan Touch Sequencer. First row output from the TS was sent to the intellijel Shapeshifter creating a two note baseline sequence that comes in at 1:58. The second sequence Row2 output from the TS was sent to the "ALM Akemie's Castle" module OSC A output using the chord function, that comes in at 25 seconds. The gates from the modcan where set to a 16th's pulse sequence. Modulation from the synthesis technology E102 Quad Temporal Shifter output 1 modulating the Multiplier input on Operator 1. The 2, 3 and 4 outputs from the E102 where also modulating the Operator 2, 3, and 4 inputs on the Akemie's Castle. This was creating the harmonic timbre changing as the sequence was playing.

The slowly evolving sweeping noise textures that come in at 1:09 is from the Music Thing Radio Music module. The sample was a white noise sampled lightly filtered and then sent to the intellijel HexVCA with the amplitude CV control via a Intellijel Dixie modulating from slow to high rates (free running). The Make Noise Rene was being externally clocked from the Circadian Rhythm, and was sending out a quantized output to the Mutable Instruments Clouds pitch input creating the chord guitar sequence. The strum sounds on Clouds was played by the 4ms QCD running in 32th division output into the Trigger input. The freeze input was also triggered by a Ladik R-110 Random clock module. The combination of the two created the trill chord like strums.

The bass guitar tone sound that comes in at 1:24 are from the MakeNoise Mysteron, that is being sequenced by the Modcan Touch Sequencer, Row Output 3 was programmed in the same key but a lower octave. The "Rings" module was creating slow attack soft high pitched chords in reverb that come around 2:50. There was additional processing of the Clouds output that was sent into the Tiptop ZDSP module running the "Halls of Vahalla" card program 8 "Ginnungagap" creating the high pitch octave deep reverb shimmer effects. The harmonic slow swells that come in at 3:30 where created using another intellijel Dixie oscillator sine output running into an Strymon "Big Sky" pedal being harmonically controlled by an intellijel µScale V1. The output was being played slowly then processed using the "Choral" mode, creating the slow shimmer swells. The entire mix was sent into the Eventide Space pedal using the "Corridors" patch.

Mutable Instruments Rings : mutable-instruments.net/modules/rings
Clouds Parasites firmware: mqtthiqs.github.io/parasites/clouds.html

Strum - Modular Patch

MakeNoise Tempi patch experiment

A small improvisation using mainly modules from MakeNoise. The sound is being generated by recording a sample of my voice through the MakeNoise Phonogene. It then gets split up into very little sonic grains that are being modulated by various sources (like the random voltage generator Wogglebug). 

The sound then travels further into the MakeNoise Echophon Pitchshift-Delay, with the MakeNoise Mysteron Waveguide going into the Feedback Input of the Echophon, which is adding some more movement to the sound. 

visit: http://www.makenoisemusic.com

Sonic Meditation with MakeNoise - 1

0-coast is sequenced by wogglebug (w manual & automatic intervention via attenuators & quantizer) & branches for cv & gate respectively, slow LFO from maths opening the decay on 0-coast while decreasing the probability of gates from branches.  drone is 4xSTOs w/ their shapes being modified by E102 & the shaped outputs mixed thru QMMG.  erbeverb, phonogene & strymon el capistan on aux sends 

0-coast squiggle test

live modular/cassette tape loop set at little joy in los angeles, ca. blemishes and all. thank you @lightbath for capturing it.

little joy / los angeles / january 28, 2018

Prophet 08 running main line sequenced by Arturia keystep
Morphagene running bells 
MI Elements running Pads
TE op-1 running drums + top line

Modular Noise X3 15.08.18.2018

Zadar

Griseo

Apud

October Delay Jam #2 - Modular Improvisation

'A Seasons Past' is the first full release on Archives by talented japanese artist Hirotaka Shirotsubaki.

Mastering by Fraser McGowan 
Archives50 // ArchivesCD31 
Archives / 2018

modular

MinaeMinae