One song sample of the Swedish Hotsynth Quintet -1, (i.e. Quartet for the night)performing live for the first time in 12 years at a christmas party. All equipment performed manually. 
Gear:
Roland SH-101
Roland Juno-6 
Bit-99
Korg MS-20
Hammond AutoVari 64
Korg Monotron
Korg Monotron Delay
Korg Volca Keys


and a Millenium MD-90 Mobile Drum Set. Sorry about that....

Sweet Georgia Brown (live)

Stormy Weather
Background:
Our rendition of this classic number was born partly from wanting to make a beautiful ballad, partly from wanting to demonstrate the capacity of our then newly bought Korg Trident mk II. This beast of a synthesizer has been called "organ", "string machine" and similar by various ill-minded fiends, while it's actually a powerful and beautiful-sounding eight voice analogue polysynth. What the Trident cannot handle are typical effect sounds, since it has neither noise generator nor advanced modulation features. For this reason an EMS Synthi-A was borrowed - an amazing briefcase synthesizer from the early 70's with the most strange possibilities. Finally, we also got some musical assistance from our friends George G and Igor S.
Sound Sources:
EMS Synthi-A : Weather
Korg Trident mk II : Everything else
Other Equipment:
Roland SH-101 : modulation source (CV and audio) for the Trident's SSM 2044 filter
Cubase VST 4.1 Mac
Zoom Studio 1201 effects processor
Korg Volume pedal
Interesting Facts:
The theremin/saw/voice-like solo in the second chorus is played with the Trident's built-in analogue flanger. High feedback, quick but shallow sweep (to add vibrato) and pitch control with the Manual knob.


Stormy Weather

Background:
The Hotsynth version of Duke Ellington's "Caravan" is not directly based on any existing recording, but a free arrangement. After finishing the piece though, we have noted some unintentional stylistic inspiration from the song "La Habanera" with Yello, especially in the beginning of our Caravan.
Unlike most other SHotQ productions, we used no analogue synthesizers for this. There were none at hand at the time.
This was also the first time we made serious use of ReBirth, which (synchronized to Cubase via ReWire) supplies all drums except for in the solo section (where a customized Nord Lead drum kit is used). The original ReBirth drum sounds (emulated 808 and 909) are used, since we hadn't at that time created our "SHotQ Jazz Machine" mod (see Topzy). 
Caravan also is the debute number for our handy Zoom Studio 1202 effects processor, which acts as reverb, vocoder and pitch delay (in the solo).
Sound Sources:
Clavia Nord Lead
GEM S2
Propellerheads ReBirth RB-338 2.0
Other Equipment:
Cubase VST 4.0 Mac
Zoom Studio 1201 effects processor
Interesting Facts:
The foot steps in the slow part (after the tap dancing solo) is a recycling of sounds from the "Watchmakers Workshop" section of Limehouse Blues
The annoyingly distorted voice at the end of the song speaks a quote from "Caravan of Love" by The Housemartins. This cannot be heard though. The quotation is even wrong.

Caravan

in order of appearance: 

Latin Drums : Hammond Auto Vari-64 
Swoops and Bridge Solo : Phillips Tongerät 
Lead : SH101
Co-Lead : Trident
Bass and Bridge Organ : Moog Opus 

Nasal Bass, Blip Lead, Don't Be Lead : SH-101 
Ugly Organ : Trident
Fatty Lead and Solo : SH-09 

Latin Percussion : MS-10 
Latin Piano : DW8000 
Latin Bass : Opus
Latin trumpet dude : MS-10 

Vocals : Glove 
Backbeat : Clavinet D6 
Bass : Opus
60's Organ : DW8000 

Vegas Drums : DDD1
Vegas Brass, Rhythm Guitar : Trident 
Vegas Saxes : DW8000

Strings : Opus 


Perdido

Shanghai Shuffle

That's a Plenty

Drums & Solo : Hammond Auto-Vari 64
Perky Lead/Stride : Korg Trident mk II
Bass, Organ, Sweep filter lead : Moog Opus-3
Detune lead, Bassy lead : Oberheim SEM
Additional "fix it in the mix" drums : Steinberg LM-7

I Koma Från Peppardixieland

Organ, High Lead, Filter Bass Lead : Moog Opus 3
Jazz/Waltz : Hammond Auto-Vari 64
Bell lead, 2nd Bass, Octave Lead : Korg Trident mk II
1st Bass, Wobbly lead : Roland SH-101
Sync Lead, Notch fourth lead : Oberheim SEM
Doo-wop : Korg VC-10

"Silent" Night

Bass: Juno-6
Banjo : Trident
Drums : Hammond + ARP 2600
Trombon: Nord Lead?
Klarinett : SEM
PWM lead : Juno-6

Sad Solo : ARP 2600
Crazy Fiddle : ARP 2600
Accordeon : Trident?
Arpsichord : Juno-6
Organ: Trident
Plupplead : ARP 2600

Hosianna Davidsson

Background:
Cab Calloway is most known for slower "shout" numbers like "Minnie the Moocher" and "The Hideho Man", but Trickeration (1931) shows a quicker, punchier side. This doesn't stop the man from showing his patented vocal equilibristics, with and without words. In our version (started autumn 99 and finished in May 2000) we experimented with various ways to emulate this. For example, the speech synthesis divas Glove (Glottal Ove) and Ingemar (of Botongdjungelboken fame) were auditioned. We also tried "manual" speech synthesis with various synthesizers, but in the end we found that the best result came from the amazing software "VocalWriter". Apart from this, we have taken the uptempo crazy spirit of the original version to new levels, and also taken a quick trip to the land of Musique Concrete. The result was very bizarre but swinging and funny. Among the instruments, one can especially note the Clavinet D6 (forceful stride accompaniment) and the little Casio MT-31 (supplying everything except the rhythm during the first vocal chorus).
Vocalist:
KAE Labs VocalWriter
Sound Sources:
Hohner Clavinet D6
Clavia Nord Lead
Casio MT-31
Kawai K1-II
Roland SH-101
Korg DDD-1
Korg Trident mk II
General Music S2
GeWa System Maezel Metronome
Motorola CD-930 GSM-telephone
HP Deskjet 720C printer
Power Macintosh G3/300
Sharp MT20H(S) MiniDisc-player
Other Equipment:
Cubase VST 4.1 Mac
Zoom Studio 1201 effect processor
Interesting Facts:
In the original recording, the tempo gets gradually lower. We choose the other way.
Also, we were inspired by the thousands of schlager songs in which there key is raised by a semitone towards the end. To avoid being too heavily connected with that kind of music though, we didn't go all the way but raise the pitch by half a semitone only.

Greatest Hits

Trickeration

Background:
Limehouse Blues is SHotQ's first recording, finished in the summer of 1998.
The song is written by Braham-Furber in 1922 and has been recorded in numerous versions over the years. SHotQ's Limehouse Blues is totally based on an arrangement by the British violin player and orchestra leader Ambrose, probably from the mid-30's. This original version was part of the soundtrack for the TV series "The Singing Detective" and is almost as bizarre as our rendition. No electronic instruments were used in the original though, only slightly exotic devices such as violin, cello, temple gongs and wood blocks.
Sound Sources:
Roland SH-101
Clavia Nord Lead
Kawai K1R
Boss DR-110
Korg DDD-1
ReBirth RB-338
Casio MT-31 (banjo)
Yamaha TX16W/Typhoon (boy choir)
Soundscape Elite GM-Synth (Orchestra Hit)
Wine Glass
Lamp shade
Other Equipment:
Cubase VST 3.5/4.0 (converted during the recording)
Interesting Facts:
The well-versed listener notes that the harmonies are modified in the second chorus (the bossa nova part). To accentuate the elevator music feeling, we only use major 7th chords.
The reoccuring "chinese" allusions in the arrangement refer to the "Limehouse" of the title - an area where poor immigrants from the orient lived, if we're not wrong.
The SHotQ version also contains a quotation from "The Star Spangled Banner" (Jimi Hendrix version) for the listener with sharp ears.

Limehouse Blues

Background:
The East St Louis Toodle-oo was the signature song for the Famous Duke Ellington Orchestra in the happy twenties.Today, the song may seem odd with its jumps between suggestive jungle moods and strutting oldtimer jazz, but back in the day this was as hot as a donkey's knickers (and it suits us perfectly, of course). The bells in the beginning (and the slightly slower tempo) are directly inspired by "The New East St Louis Toodle-oo", Ellington's updated swing version from the 30's.
Sound Sources:
Korg Trident mk II (toms, growl lead, trumpet, pad, etc.)
Roland SH-101 (bass, trombone, drums, brass, clarinets, wood blocks, etc.)
Moog Opus 3 (Solos, bass, drums, chirps, phase strings, car horn, honky tonk, flutter, etc.)
Korg VC-10 (sweepchords)
Clavia Nord Lead (bells, cymbal, drums, brass, etc.)
Hohner Clavinet D6 (banjo backbeat, stride)
Casio MT-31 (banjo fourbeat, flute, harpsichord, brass, funny fuzz)
Boss DR-110 (cymbal, drums)
Other Equipment:
Cubase VST 4.1 Mac
Zoom Studio 1201 effect processor
Ibanez Wah
Interesting Facts:
The lead trumpet in the jungle choruses is played on the Korg Trident. The arpeggiator of the SH-101 provides fluctuating CV, sent via a volume pedal into the modulation input for the Trident's filter (the player uses one foot to control the amount of growl with this pedal). Both mix outputs of the Trident are used; one signal is sent through a wah pedal (controlled with the player's other foot) to simulate the wah effect of a hand-held mute; the other signal goes through the autofilter on the Zoom instead, set to an almost static filter profile. Furthermore the bottom of this signal is filtered out, to get the typical biting bright sound of a trumpet mute.
After finishing this recording we found that the intellectual pop group Steely Dan made a version of the same song in the early 70's. In their version however, the growl-wah-trumpet was emulated by means of a slide guitar and a talkbox.
Finally, we should mention that all instruments in the first solo chorus are played by the Moog Opus 3 (including the drums).

The Even Newer East St Louis Toodle-ooo

Recorded in 2001 while playing for, amongst others, Bob Moog. Cover photo by Ninni Bergfors

Stormy Weather Live

Background:
Our version of the Count Basie hit "Topsy" (Durham/Battle) from 1937 is a deliberate attempt to momentarily leave the absurdistic approach of our earlier songs, and instead create a "pure swing number", where the analogue synths interpret the big band instruments of the original (in the spirit of - no quality comparison - e.g. Tomita's synthesizer renditions of classical music). For those alarmed by this, we have to point out that this is not to be considered "our new style", rather a way to make our stylistic palette broader. The piece we recorded after this one, "Trickeration", should make this clear.
Sound Sources:
Roland SH-101
Yamaha DX-100
Technosaurus Microcon
Clavia Nord Lead
Casio MT-31
ReBirth RB-338 2.0
Other Equipment:
Cubase VST 4.1 Mac
Zoom Studio 1201 effect processor
Ibanez Wah
Ye Olde Acoustic Guitar (Greenulator vocoder-modulator)
Audio Technica microphone (Greenulator)
Yamaha WX-7 Wind Controller
Interesting Facts:
The SHotQ version follows the original almost exactly, at least structure-wise:
Harry "Sweets" Edison's opening trumpet solo is here replaced by SH-101 cv/gate-controlling the Microcon, which acts as "wah growl" with LFO-modulated filter and wah pedal.
The following baritone sax solo, originally played by the modernistic but slightly spastic Jack Washington, is here played on the WX-7 controlling the DX-100, the sound of which has been made meatier by the Zoom auto-filter. The futuristic MIDI-wind-thingy WX-7 was a new tool for us, and required a lot of stubborn reharsal from the player.
Thereafter a characteristic Basie solo, again delivered by the little DX-100 but played from another keyboard, for the sake of velocity sensitivity. In this part, we can also clearly hear the Greenulator, a guitar/synth/vocoder-configuration aimed at emulating the legendary rhythm guitarist Freddie Green.
After a brief drum fill (Jo Jones, today impersonated by our own "SHotQ JazzMachine" mod for ReBirth) follows the powerful final chorus, where everyone really "blow". Herschel Evans tenor sax bridge was taken out and replaced with a growling Microcon, distorted through the Zoom.
A concluding vamp with far away trombones (SH-101) leads to the end, where the trumpet section performs a "stepped swell" with hats as mutes (Nord Lead).

Topsy

Our take on Raymond Scott's classic tune from 1938.

Featuring guest artist and AKS lender Magnus Danielsson.

Instrumentation:
Antarctic winds (50 Hz) : SH-09
Bass pattern : SH-101 + SEM
Antarctic call : SH-09
Antarctic response : VC-10

Lead, Bass pattern, Counterlead : SEM
Chords : Trident 

Piccola, Clarinet : SEM
Cymbal : DR-110
Steam organ, Accordion, Horns, Glockenspiel : Trident
Tuba, Mekanische Trommeln, Bassoon, Motor Rollups : SH-09

Portier Bell : MS-20
Weird break : Reason 2.0

Calypso drums : DR-110 + Synthi AKS
Bass : Synthi AKS
Lead : SEM

Touch Key Lead : Synthi AKS
Brass, additional leads : SEM
Metals : SH-09

High lead : SEM
Conga pattern : Juno 6
Boasch, Boom : Trident
Rhythm Strings : K1 + SEM

Soli : SEM
Pulse bass : SEM
String sweep : K1 + SEM
Hihat, additional drums : MS-20
Swell bell : K1
Wah Chords : K1 + MS-20

Lead, Fatbass : SEM
Stringfalls, Power Drums : K1
Deathfall, Cop Wah : MS-20

Formant lead, high lead : SEM
Orchestra Hits : Fairlight sample + Korg AG-10

Bass pattern, leads : SEM 
Chords : Trident

The Penguin

This is SHotQ's only political allegory, so far. To the sounds of the old jazz standard China Boy, we here try to illustrate the situation with the Chinese child labourers, making toys for McDonalds "Happy Meals". However, in his greedyness, the evil work supervisor (also heard delivering an impromptu vocal during a quick visit to the loo) pushes the workers and the machine to their limits and past them, resulting in a total machine breakdown and malfunction. In the following explosion, the walls of the sweatshop are blown to pieces, allowing a finger of God's sunshine to find its way into the dark machine chambers (Deus Ex McMachina). The Chinese children are free and can march out on the open rice fields, whistling a joyous tune! Sometimes, life has its happy moments!

Cast (in order of appearance):
Main and Lead Machinery: SH-101, Trident mkII, Korg DDD-1, Nord Lead, DX-100
Engine: Nord Lead
Dark Machinery: Reason 1.0
Factory Whistles: Trident, Opus, SH-101
Nasal Lead: Moog Opus 3
KrazyKoto: DX-100
Fat Bass: Slumpler+SH-09
Soft lead, Chugga, Walking Bass: SH-101
Counterpoint lead: Korg VC-10
Jazz drums: Hammond Auto-Vari 64
McHappy Riff: Clavinet
Door: SH-101
Steps: Nord Lead
Zipper, Urinal: SH-09
Vocals: Glove
Flush: SH-101, SH-09
Wild organ: Kawai K1 II
Rhythm Organ: Moog Opus 3
LFO Lead: Roland SH-09
Brass: Korg Trident
Error, Sproing, Boom, Engine Slowdown, Alarms: SH-09
Clonks: Korg Trident
Boom, Gas : SH-101
Ground : SH-09
Electric : SH-101
Bang : SH-09, SH-101, Trident, Opus 3
Metals: Nord Lead
Godchords: Opus 3, Trident, VC-10, SH-101
Steps: SH-09, Nord Lead, SH-101, Trident, Opus 3
March: Hammond Auto-Vari 64
Whistles: SH-101, Nord Lead, Opus 3, Trident, SH-09, GEM S2

Other Equipment:
Cubase VST 4.1 Mac
Zoom Studio 1201 effects processor

Interesting Facts:
We would love to do a video for this one. Black and white and animated, in classic Krazy Kat-style. Any artful, video-savvy and idealistic person available out there?

China Boy

With this song, we temporarily left our usual concept of hard-swinging transistor jazz. While the original song could be viewed as a "jazz classic", we chose to make a "Düsseldorfian" version. How would Night and Day have sounded if the boys in the Kling Klang studio had recorded it, we asked ourselves, and the answer immediately came in form of this song.

Nacht und Tag is also an exception to our usual principles in two ways: it's not recorded in our usual studio but elsewhere, with different recording equipment, and there isn't a single analog thing in sight - every sound is digital, and sometimes even software-based.

Sound Sources:
ReBirth 2.01 w. SHotQ Jazz Machine : Drums
Akai S2000 : Staccato tones, bass sequence, mellow lead
Native Instruments Reaktor : Filter Flutter
Kawai K1R : Strings, Vocoder carrier
Clavia Nord Lead : Deep arpeggio, space lead and pad
Native Instruments Pro-52 : Funky Bass, Vocoder carrier
Opcode Fusion Vocoder : Vocals
Clavia Micro Modular : Filter FX, Gated Pad, Octave Bass, Tinkly

Other Equipment:
Cubase VST 3.72 Windows
AKG D-90 microphone
Various plug-in effects for reverb, delay, phaser, etc.

Interesting Facts:
The beatiful lead sound in the beginning is played on the Akai S2000, with a sawtooth wave as "sample". The glissando effects appeared spontaneously when the player applied pitch bend with a very large range. A nice side effect from the downsides of digital technology!

Nacht und Tag

This is a structure-wise true modernisation of Fletcher Henderson's classic "The Stampede" from the late 20's. Hold on to your hats! The rhythm is kept by double Nord Leads (we borrowed an extra one), automated, connected and synchronized with the Trident (which plays the banjo). The tuba is played by hand though, on the SH-101.

Coleman Hawkins' hot-modern tenor sax solo is here replaced by double Nord Leads (note the very brief quotation from "In the Mood", a song that by the way was a pure rip-off of Henderson's "Hot and Anxious"), and Joe Smith's agile trumpet solo is also done on the Nord Lead. But the concluding hot-blowing trumpet part (Rex Stewart), that's a distorted Moog Opus 3 making its debute in SHotQ!

Sound Sources:
Korg Trident mk II (Banjo, brass, dixie trumpet, etc.)
Roland SH-101 (Bass, staccato filter, arpeggio break, dixie clarinet, etc.)
Korg VC-10 (saxes, choir, chant)
Nord Lead (Percussion, intro lead, trombone, sax and trumpet soli, bells, etc.)
Big Briar Theremin (yelps, clarinet chorus)
Moog Opus 3 (blasts, dist lead, dixie trombone)
Boss DR-110 (additional drums and handclaps)

Other Equipment:
Cubase VST 4.1 Mac
Zoom Studio 1201 effect processor
Boss Digital Delay

Interesting Facts:
We are very proud of the clarinet chorus with its ghostlike orchestration: 2 theremins and a wobbly choir from the VC-10. Especially considering that the theremin players Beskberg and Limberg at that point had reached a considerable state of inebriation.

Contest:
The first one to correctly interprate the vocoder vocals in the end chorus (from 2:34 and onwards) wins a fabulous price: the chance to participate in a SHotQ session and be guest soloist!

The Stampede

(Sorry, only in swedish)
Oh Helga Natt: 
ReBirth iPad : Bas, trumma, plupp

Korg MS20 : Högt dallerlead, svällare, fill

Korg MS10 : Sick puppy lead, svällare, fill

Korg Trident : Långlead

Roland JX8P : Julechorus, klockor, vibratolead, dumt ackord

Roland SH2000 : Mandolin, valthorn

Oberheim SEM : Hjältelead

Korg KPR-77+Monotron : Snubblande fill



Korg KPR-77 : galopptrummor

Roland SH2000 : Tuba, melodisvar

Korg Trident : Trigbrass+pad, Square Lead, Svällackord, Stereobas

Nord Lead : Andhämtning, kork

SEM : Arga leadet

JX8P : Cellobass

Yamaha RX5 : Baklängesljud, Uh!



Monotribe : 6/8 drums + mandolin

Monotron : Fetbas, doo-wop

MS-20 : Bells

MS-20? : Lead Vocals

Korg PSS-50 : Merengue


Oh (un) Holy Night (O Helga Natt)

"Swedish Hotsynth Quintet" - say what? 
The Swedish Hotsynth Quintet (establ. 1998) plays vintage jazz on vintage synthesizers. Or: "The Swedish Hotsynth Quintet aims to bring together the energy and passion of classic hot jazz with the warm, ear-caressing sound of older synthetic instruments, thereby redefining - and passing - the known boundaries of what mankind knows as music".  

SHotQ

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