Video: Rhodonea II at SEAMUS

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This video is a new interpretation of Rhodonea (Rhodonea II) that I performed for SEAMUS (the Society for Electroacoustic Music in the US) at Purdue University on Saturday, March 22, 2025. Attending and performing at the conference was a fantastic experience. I’ll share more about the event in future post.

The animated, generative, graphic score developed with Processing.org sends corresponding MIDI data to one of my favorite electronic instruments of late, the Dirtywave M8. Previously I performed the piece in Ireland at the inaugural Radical Futures conference.

The piece serves as a model of how we might collaborate with near future synthetic entities. Software feeds automated, algorithmic, projected visual cues, tempi, and low frequency oscillations to improvising electronic musicians. The visuals, based on Maurer Roses, suggest melodic, harmonic, and percussive gestures that are modulated by data streaming from the generative animations. Throughout the piece the artist adapts to the familiar yet unpredictable graphic scores and corresponding signals.

Note: please watch in full screen with the lights off and listen on headphones or high fidelity stereo speakers

Tracker Comparison – Polyend Tracker Mini vs Dirtywave m8

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First-time poster so I now seems like the best time to introduce myself. My name is Erik Tinberg – I’m a synthesizer enthusiast and sound design experimenter from Minneapolis, Minnesota. After spending a year with the Polyend Trackers and a few weeks with a Dirtywave m8 I wanted to write up an impartial comparison between the Tracker Mini and the m8 – which I originally posted on my website here. John asked if I’d post it here as well. I’m looking forward to continuing to experiment and participate in the AudioCookBook.

Polyend Tracker Mini and a Dirtywave m8, side by side.

Polyend Tracker Mini and a Dirtywave m8, side by side.

Recently I became enamored with two portable hardware Tracker machines: the Polyend Tracker Mini and the Dirtywave m8. The Mini is the smaller successor to the Polyend Tracker and the predecessor to the Polyend Tracker+. I originally purchased a Polyend Tracker when they were significantly discounted when the Tracker Mini was announced. While I was aware of the Dirtywave m8, I decided to purchase the Tracker for the following reasons:

  • The cost of the m8 was significantly more expensive.
  • The Tracker features a far greater number of dedicated buttons – making it appear more immediately usable.

Continue reading →

SYNTAX Blu-Ray Disc from Æther Sound

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Our generative, animated, graphic score, performance project SYNTAX in collaboration with Mike Hodnick (aka Kindohm) is now available from Æther Sound as a Blu-Ray disc. The Disc contains all eight of our compositions as well as two bonus videos. One from Mike titled n ciom 4 and another from me titled Rhodonea. It all adds up to a total of one hour and fifteen minutes of music with animation.

After performing SYNTAX at The International Computer Music Conference (ICMC), Limerick, Ireland; New Interfaces for Musical Expression or NIME; The Performing Media Festival, South Bend, IN; The Int. Digital Media Arts conference, Winona, MN; and venues in Minneapolis and Kalamazoo I’m excited that we can share these works on physical media. Video excerpts are available on YouTube (see below), but the Blu-Ray disc is the only way to experience high-fidelity, full-length studio versions of this project. Learn more about SYNTAX here or buy the Blu-Ray from Æther Sound here.

The Tower Project by David Means with Anthony Cox, George Cartwright & JCS Keston

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David Means with his Tower Project sculptural graphic score (2024)

I am delighted to announce a concert of work by David Means on September 27, 2024 at the brand new performance hall in the recently opened Schoenecker Center at the University of St Thomas. The upcoming concert and recording session was made possible by a grant for the UST College of Arts and Sciences with support from the Emerging Media and Music departments.

David Means was a professor, advisor, and mentor of mine while I was getting my undergrad in music technology. He also served on my masters thesis committee and over the years he has been a gracious reference helping me land a teaching position, performances, and grants, and been an amazing friend and collaborator. All the while David has tirelessly composed work of his own and performed it in a spectrum of countries and venues around the world.

The Tower Project is a sculptural, graphic score by David and the grant provides funding for the performance, an exhibition of the score, a recording session, and speaking engagements. I’m excited to perform David’s piece with him, Anthony Cox on cello, and George Cartwright on guitar. I’ll be playing the new Steinway in the performance hall and running it through my electroacoustic modular skiff.

Me, Anthony, and George will each do short solo pieces to start the event followed by a UST student ensemble performing the Tower Project and closing with a quartet of me, David, Anthony and George interpreting the piece. The concert is free and open to the public. Seating is limited. Doors open at 6:30pm. Please join us at the University of St Thomas, Schoenecker Center, Performance Hall SCC 106, 2210 Summit Ave, St Paul, MN 55105. A full program is available at bit.ly/TheTowerProject.

Tonight at BERLIN (MPLS) Electroacoustic Music

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In keeping with my usual last minute reminders about shows, tonight at 7pm CST I’ll be playing a solo piano set of electroacoustic compositions followed by alone-a (Alana Horton) and Crystal Myslajek at Berlin, Minneapolis in the North Loop. These pieces make use of a modular skiff (a small case of Eurorack synthesizer modules) to sample, resample, and process the acoustic sound of the piano as I play. The results have been super satisfying, so I am thrilled to be sharing this work. More details are available at berlinmpls.com.