Zeitgeist Arts: The Taming of the CPU

Posted on January 20, 2015 by John CS Keston

I’m am very excited to announce an upcoming concert at Zeitgeist Arts this Friday, January 23, 2014 in Duluth, Minnesota. I’ll be performing a set of brand new material using the DSI Tempest, Elektron Analog Four, and Moog Sub 37. Live coding artist, Mike Hodnick (Kindohm), and Ableton guru, Lucas Melchior (MKR) are also on the bill. All three of us are recipients of the Minnesota Emerging Composers Award (MECA) for electronic music.

In addition to the music Chris LeBlanc will be performing live visuals at the event. I’ve had the privilege of working with Chris on several occasions and I’m really looking forward to experiencing his latest concoction of analog video, circuit bent NES, and vintage video mixers. At this event he’s bringing four gorgeous CRT monitors from a vintage 9 x 9 video wall. You can see a still of them in action above.

Facebook Event Page
Zeitgeist Arts Event Page

SoundsCloud Flashback: Music for People on Shelves

Posted on November 28, 2014 by John CS Keston

I used Ableton Live to produce in real-time and my wavetable glitch machine Max patch to make most of the noises, which I routed into Live using Soundflower.

This five year old set is one of the very first things I ever posted on SoundCloud and it’s 86 minutes from a live solo performance with Minneapolis Art on Wheels. Checkout the original posts here:

Video documentation:
audiocookbook.org/people-on-shelves/

The original article:
audiocookbook.org/music-for-people-on-shelves/

My First Few Weeks with the Moog Sub 37

Posted on November 10, 2014 by John CS Keston

I pre-ordered the Moog Sub 37 days after it was announced and have been sitting on the edge of my seat ever since anticipating its arrival. Finally it arrived during one of my busiest times in several years. As a result I have had very little time with the instrument. However, I can already tell that it will be a relationship as enduring as the decades long relationship I have had with the SCI Pro-One.

First and foremost the Sub 37 is feels like an instrument because it is an instrument. It has been designed to be musical and and expressive in the hands of a musician. The semi-weighted keyboard feels solid and just stiff enough to play dynamically. Velocity and pressure sensitivity react nicely with little adjustment necessary. With all the knobs available, programming is fast, but there are loads additional features under the hood. This does require menu diving, but it’s reasonable considering the modulation routing possibilities.
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A Note From Moog

Posted on July 30, 2014 by John CS Keston

This morning I was greeted by a Toblerone shaped box on my doorstep adorned with a Moogfest logo. Since I was on my way to class I had to leave it until this evening. On opening I discovered a beautiful golden knob and a lovely note from Moog thanking me for my participation at Moogfest:

It has taken us two months to process the impact of Moogfest 2014. The phenomenal minds that came together to share, teach, make, play, and perform made our town in North Carolina shine brightly for 5 days. We want to thank you from the bottom of our hearts for being a part of this celebration of art, science, music, and technology. Without you Moogfest would not have been as magical or inspiring for those that participated.

The enclosed knob is symbolic of Moog’s 50 year legacy in analog synthesis. Originally we gave them to the owners of our flagship synthesizer, the Minimoog Voyager, because they are the people who helped Moog become what it is today. We felt it appropriate to send one to you too for helping define what Moogfest will be in the future. You will always be a part of Moogfest’s genesis and we hope you continue to be a part of its evolution.

Following the note were a couple of personal sentences from Emmy Parker and handwritten signatures from Emmy and Mike Adams. Needless to say, I am humbled by this honor and hope that I can continue to participate in the future. Thanks Emmy, Mike, and everyone else who made Moogfest an incredible experience!

TV Takeover: Northern Lights.mn (Live Stream)

Posted on June 6, 2014 by John CS Keston

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Tonight I am going to be improvising electronic music on live television in reaction to projects presented by past and present Northern Spark artists. The event is hosted by Twin Cities Public Television and is open to the public with tickets available for the in studio event. Read more about the TV Takeover event or watch it live at the YouTube stream above. [Edit: the event is over, but the video is available above.]