Join us for a night of music at ROK Bar, 882 7th St. W, Suite 12, St. Paul, MN 55102 on September 1, 2023. Jesse Whitney starts off the evening with a solo electronic set, followed by two trio sets from Eric Carranza (guitars and electronics), Matty Harris (saxophones), and me (keys included my Osmose Expressive E).
The internet has been buzzing with demos of the Osmose Expressive E since they started arriving to VIPs studios earlier this year. I have been fascinated by it since 3D renders of it showed up in November of 2019. Four years later, I finally have it and now that I’ve had a day or two to allow my brain to reassemble itself I’m ready to say something about it.
There are many directions that artists will steer this machine. One is by leveraging physical modeling to emulate acoustic instruments. Doing this requires developing the techniques and having the knowledge to work the Osmose into matching the range and textures of the target instrument. Secondly it requires expertly designed patches that can translate the subtleties of the player’s expression into the expected nuances. Benn Jordan has a great video here that goes into detail about how this can be done. I do not intend to address the debate regarding “should this be done?” in this article, other than to state that there is an ongoing debate (perhaps since music was electrically amplified) along with far reaching consequences to musicians and the music industry at large of which we all ought to be aware. Continue reading
Keston and Honick performing SYNTAX at iDMAa 2022 Weird Media
I’m pleased to share that I will be giving a concert of the piece SYNTAX in collaboration with Mike Hodnick AKA Kindohm at the Performing Media Festival on March 10 at LangLab in South Bend, Indiana. This video excerpt of the piece was presented at NIME 2022, and we performed the piece in-person at ICMC 2022 in Limerick last July, and at iDMAa 2022 Weird Media last June.
SYNTAX is an exercise in programming computers to program ourselves. Mike and I each composed four movements for a total of eight generative, animated, graphic scores. We follow the unpredictable yet familiar visuals making each performance similar, but distinct from the next.
The piece questions technological idealism in an age of ecological disruption and data-driven exploitation. By deliberately coding and submitting to an “inversion of control” we’re evoke the warnings of media theorists like Douglas Rushkoff, that we risk a future wherein our behavior might be irreversibly dictated by the algorithms in the software we use instead of by our own volition. If you can’t catch our performance in South Bend, we’ll be performing it again in Kalamazoo, MI the next day at the Dormouse Theatre.
This month I will be playing a solo set at RÖK Eatery in St. Paul on Thursday, October 20th at 7pm. 7th St. W, Suite 12, St. Paul, MN 55102. This is an exciting opportunity for me to improvise with some amazing instruments that I have been working with recently. These include the Numa X Piano GT, a gorgeous sounding stage piano, my beloved Prophet REV2 polysynth from the late Dave Smith, and a handheld tracker/sampler/synth called the Dirtywave M8.
I am still surprised by my own decision to include the Dirtywave M8 in this setup given that I did not anticipate using it in a live setting, but with the collection of customized tools I’ve been crafting that aid with improvisation and experimentation I’m finding it to be a rewarding combination. More to come!
My ongoing search for a stage piano to suit my somewhat unconventional desires has led me in several directions described in part one and part two of this series, but when I came across the details online about the Numa X Piano GT my head was decisively turned. I ordered the flagship stage piano from StudioLogic without even trying it back in February, 2022 and due to chip shortages didn’t receive it until the end of July. It was worth the wait. It isn’t without flaws, but they are easily worked around and overshadowed by the exceptional flexibility, playability, and sound quality of this marvelous machine. This article will not serve as a review, but as an explanation of why this instrument suits me where others might not have.
The first thing I’d like to address is the action. The key bed is Fatar’s new TP/400 Wood and includes realistic escapement, velocity, and aftertouch sensitivity. Many stage pianos do not include aftertouch, limiting controller capabilities, so having it was an important factor in my decision. The key bed feels fantastic and responds better than any other weighted controller or stage piano I’ve tried. Another characteristic of the key bed that I haven’t seen mentioned anywhere is the key texture. More often than not electronic instruments have glossy keys that can feel sticky or slippery to your fingers. The Numa X Piano GT has a soft, ivory, grain-like texture on the keys that feels great under my finger tips. In the light the subtle grain appears to be different on each key. The texturing is a thoughtful detail that I never considered, but ultimately helps me connect with the instrument. Continue reading