Imbued Vagary performs 'Ebow Nucleosis' recorded January 1, 2015

Imbued Vagary - Ebow Nucleosis

Floating Fish Studios held its first Synth Jam Session of 2015 at FFS II on 01/01/15.  Fresh from Imbued Vagary’s live streaming event on NYE 2015, the ensemble gathered included M Scott McConnell (aka MC2P4), Dave Chandler (aka Thee Sub One Genius), and Matt Norcross (aka Ttam Troll).

On this track, titled You’re Different, a sample taken from the 1981 Michael Crichton movie, Looker, played from an Ensoniq EPS was used to create the atmospheric basis of the improv.  Those familiar with the film should recognize the sound of the L.O.O.K.E.R. (Light Ocular-Oriented Kinetic Emotive Responses) gun.  MC2P4 contributed Korg Z1 pads, Thee Sub One Genius added virtual instrument sound effects, while Ttam Troll layered even more Looker samples and Ensoniq ESQ-1 pads to complete the track.

I hope you enjoy this, the first of many tracks from Synth Jam 2015 - First Strike!

Imbued Vagary - You're Different (Live at FFS II 01/01/15)

The first sampler used by Any Questions? was a Roland S-220 purchased in 1990 at a Medley Music sales event.  This 12-bit, 30kHz sample-rate sampler was really a pain to use.  With only 256k of internal memory, you would get a maximum sample time of 4.4 seconds.  Samples could be stored and loaded on a built-in 2.8" Quick Disk drive.  This format was certainly not "quick" and even at that time in 1990 was hard to come by.  We quickly abandoned this sampler and moved on to the far superior Ensoniq EPS Performance Sampler.

I mention both of these samplers in this post because "The Flintstones" sample featured in the SoundCloud clip below is one of the very first samples that we ever recorded.  In fact, it might be the first.  

At Der Palest des Goldes in 1990, we sat a microphone on an ottoman in front of our 13" Zenith CRT television and sampled what was coming out of the small TV speaker at the time into our Roland S-220 Sampler.  What was playing on our TV at the time was The Flintstones cartoon from the '60s.

A few months later, we purchased the Ensoniq EPS Performance Sampler and re-sampled The Flintstones sample from the Roland S-220 into it.  After doing so, we recorded the short sound collage that we share with you now.

Any Questions? - Flintstones

This Any Questions? archival song idea titled Demon Knight is from the year 1996.  Like our other song idea titles, it is named after what was playing on the studio TV monitor while it was being created.  

Demon Knight is a 1995 horror comedy starring Billy Zane, William Sadler, and Jada Pinkett.  mC2p4 and I (Ttam Troll) saw the movie in the theater and then later when it was released for the home market, we picked up the LaserDisc to sample from.  However, no samples from the movie made it into this song idea.

As with a lot of our song ideas from this period, we used an E-MU Pro/Cussion drum module to create a basic drum beat and then added a synth bass line with a Korg Wavestation.  mC2p4 added a few live cymbal hits and if you listen closely enough, you can also hear a faint buzzing sound like that which a fly would make.  I don't remember exactly how that was created but I assume it was also the Korg Wavestation.

This track never evolved past this early stage.  There's probably a reason for that...

Any Questions? - Demon Knight

The latest from SUB ONE (?) - A recent tracking of scratch material forming a menagerie of dissonance and granular synthesis.

SUB ONE - Osseous Labyrinth

DEVO - Don't Roof Rack Me, Bro! (Seamus Unleashed)

Imbued Vagary is: David Chandler (Virtualization, Synths, Rhythms), Matt Norcross (Synthesizers), Scott McConnell (Synthesizers, Sampling, and Sounds). "Co LLab Bel" A product of a remote jam session. 

Imbued Vagary - Co LLab Bel

First mutant to ascend from the plasma pool after the Cy-Tech Wars. Skilled in cybernetics and data manipulation. Exhibits an extreme appetite for blood and kills for his own pleasure.

Any Questions? - Flintstones

Ttam Troll

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