A Sound / Simulacra Album Available

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One of the last concerts I played before the COVID-19 pandemic and the horrific murder of George Floyd was a sound/simulacra with an amazing group of artists including: Cody McKinney (electric bass, voice, electronics), myself (Rhodes, synth, electronics), Aby Wolf (voice, electronics), Kaleena Miller (amplified tap dancing), and Nathan Hanson (saxophones). The venue made a multitrack recording of our show, so since have been unable to continue with our monthly series, Cody Mckinney and I decided to release a live album of music from the evening. Cody wrote an elegant essay (below) about the night, and I mixed and mastered the recordings which are now available on Bandcamp (above). All sales will be directed to advance the Black Lives Matter movement. Please read on to learn more about the album and the artists who made it possible.

sound/simulacra started as a monthly experiment, conceived by myself (Cody McKinney) and my dear friend and collaborator, John C.S. Keston. The name comes from the writings of Jean Baudrillard, the great French, post structuralist philosopher.

The basic idea was to bring sound artists / musicians together from varying disciplines, and see if we could find some universal truths within the framework of improvisation. Many differing sound disciplines seem to have their own language and systems of improvisation. Many of these take a lifetime of study to master, but that is usually based on that discipline’s improvisatory syntax as opposed to the purer language of sound. There was no attempt to try to learn or master other artists’ vocabulary, but rather to seek the commonalities between performers and their systems. Many times, these improvisations revealed certain formal structures; for example, western music theory influence, with our scales and triads and harmonic rules. While other times, they revealed behaviors from the natural world such as bird songs, or moaning, or machinery. [In recent times, we’ve begun to align our lives with many machines, and with that alignment comes a whole host of familiar sounds, structures, forms etc.] Continue reading →

REV2 Degrader Update Introduces Preset Morphing and Gated Sequencer Editor

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REV2 Degrader (R2DG) version 1.2.1 is available today and introduces three entirely new features along with a host of other improvements. Notibly the tool now includes a morphing editor for the gated sequencer. This feature allows users to graphically edit and “degrade” the steps and parameters for all four gated sequencer layers.

Secondly, a new preset morphing feature has been added to the interface. This allows users to morph between two R2DG presets. In combination with GET PATCH FROM REV2 users are able to morph between any two patches on Layer A. Use the drop downs to choose preset A and preset B, then update the number box between in increments of 0.01 to morph between the two presets. For example if you set the value to 0.75 then your REV2 will contain a new patch that is interpolated 75% of the way from preset A to preset B.

The R2DG interface can now be scaled based on screen resolution to maximum, default, or custom dimensions. All of these capabilities are also included in a Windows 10 version of the software which will be available soon. Checkout audiocookbook.org/rev2-patch-degrader for details.

HYDRAMORPH™ Morphing Editor for the ASM Hydrasynth

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During self-isolation due to COVID-19 my teaching has moved online affording me more time toward individual projects. I had already started a building a morphing editor for the Ashun Sound Machines Hydrasynth, so this is where I have been directing my energy. I expected to release this software closer to mid-summer, but now it’s looking like early to mid-May. In this short video I illustrate one of the ways I use HYDRAMORPH to tease incredible sounds out of this very special instrument. I have also made discounted pre-orders available at 20% off the full release price until the release. From the Purchase page:

HYDRAMORPH™ is a generative sound design tool for the Ashun Sound Machines Hydrasynth polyphonic synthesizer. The application is designed to algorithmically morph parameters on the instrument in realtime. Keep playing or record the results as up to 366 (so far) parameters are manipulated! Use HYDRAMORPH to create anything from chaotic, rapidly-changing textures to slow, evolving drones. HYDRAMORPH will help you navigate the expansive sound design possibilities of the Hyrdasynth through realtime morphing of customized parameter sets. Explore endless, unique soundscapes, illustrating how diverse and powerful the Hydrasynth is. This tool will help you uncover new territory hidden within the sonic depths of your instrument.

Builders of the Fauxpocalyse

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I’ve made so much music over the years and most of it is sitting on hard drives or gathering dust in neglected corners of the internet. Recently a listener reminded me of an album I made over 6 years ago hidden in one such dusty corner, so I moved it to another dusty corner. The album of electronic music was composed using a dogmatic approach that you can read more about in the liner notes. Bring a duster!

Social Distance II with Corrector Records Live Stream

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Saturday, March 28, 2020 I had the privilege of performing a solo, electronic, live-streaming set for Social Distance II with Corrector Records. I played first followed by live coder Mike Hodnick AKA Kindohm, and Carl Fisk AKA Mount Curve. The series aims to fill a void left by the lack of live concerts while raising funds to help support artists who are struggling financially.

Fortunately the bulk of my income is from teaching at a university (now entirely online), but many of my musical mates rely on performing almost daily to make ends meet. Due to lockdowns and gig cancellations for preventing the spread of COVID-19 they are making little to no income. Please help support artists in need at https://www.givemn.org/story/Epf3ag. If you are an artist in need of assistance apply for funds at https://springboardforthearts.org/additional-resources/personal-emergency-relief-fund/.

My set was improvised using the Sequential Prophet REV2 with realtime, generative sound design handled by an application I recently released titled REV2 Degrader™. I also played Rhodes electric piano and processed and looped things with the Korg KP3+, and Moog Minifooger Delay.