Art + Music + Technology

My first view of Erik Emil Eskildsen's work was at the urging of Markus Reuter; he pointed to Erik's work and said "Hey, this might be a cool guy for you to talk to!". The further I dug in, the more interesting work I found: touch guitar, heavy effect pedal action, then the YouTube "Modular + Pedals" channel - and then his most recent release (The Forest of Unending Warmth). I found it all interesting, and we set up a time to have a chat. Very glad that I did! Erik is super open about his process, and we dug into his work, my preconceptions about how he does it - and the reality of how he actually does it! It was cool to hear about someone that treats systems as a composition, and that considers that system setup as critical to the composition process. Very instructive to me, and it has inspired me to think differently about that work. You can check out Erik's work on his bandcamp page: https://eeeskildsen.bandcamp.com/music. You can also learn more about his work on him artist website (http://www.eeeskildsen

As a young(er) dude wrapping my head around music technology, there was one person that was consistently inspiring to me: Larry Fast. From his work as Synergy (which you can learn about here: http://synergy-emusic.com), or as a backing musician with Peter Gabriel, or doing composition and sound design across the industry, Fast's work was always pushing my ideas of what synths could do. So it was an amazing opportunity when I was introduced to Larry - and got a chance to record this chat with him. Larry has never not been busy, and that remains the case: he's been working on a documentary (Saving the Great Swamp), creating archives from his Synergy work and putting together the material for a new release. This in combination with working with the Thomas Edison National Historic Park, and is deeply involved in historic preservation information. Preparing for this interview got me diving back into the Synergy catalog, and I was reminded how much some of those albums (particularly Cords, Audion, Computer Experime

It's always great to get into something before it happens. In this case, Ellison Wolf, proprietor of Zorx Electronics, is planning the launch of a new magazine - Waveform magazine. This is going to be a free print magazine that focuses on the gear, players and makers of synthesizers, modular gear and great music. I first heard of this on my Facebook feed, and quickly signed up for the upcoming first issue. But I also wanted to talk to Ellison about his preparations for this release, and how he thought he would succeed in a world where print magazines seem to be shrinking - fast! This looks like an interesting development; if it sounds like something you'd be into, you can sign up on the Waveform site: https://www.waveformmagazine.com. You can also check out Ellison's Zorx work at https://www.zorxelectronics.com/, and his musical collaboration under the name Secretary (https://www.secretaryband.com/). Enjoy! 

Deantoni Parks is one of those percussionists that other percussionists talk about. They pass video links, performance notes and bandcamp sites to each other, because his work is pretty shocking. Rather than take a Neil Peart-style hit-all-the-drum approach to advance drumming, he instead chose to pursue - and even exceed - the kinds of drumming we normally think of coming out of machines and digital editors. Starting his drum work at age 2, he has been pushing himself for almost four decades, and the result is jaw-dropping. Equally at home with a full or abbreviated kit (with sampler-keyboard), Deantoni produces work that is start-of-the-art. Then you will read that all of it was performed live, and you *have* to see it. You can find out more about Deantoni on his Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/deantoniparks/), or check out his Technoself releases on the bandcamp page (https://deantoni.bandcamp.com/). But dig into this - it will pay back great dividends. Enjoy!

In last week's episode, we just scratched the surface of Eric's role in creating the maker's world we now occupy. So I called him back and we immediately did a second interview to fill in some of the gaps: what were the early days like, how did he actually get the stuff built, why the move to Pittsburgh. This continues the fascinating journey of Eric Singer, and helps us to further appreciate the way he helped shape the electronic music future. I think it is especially important to consider what was happening during the early 2000's, when computer technology was moving forward so rapidly, and the financial marketplace was in post-internet-boom chaos. Eric kept cranking out the work, teaching dozens of people how to manage their art through the process of hardware and software production, and eventually leading to something as overwhelming as the Orchestrion Project.  Again, if you haven't yet checked out Eric's work, you should: http://www.singerbots.com/ Enjoy!

I'm pretty sure you know Eric Singer's work. Some of his most well-known work includes Pat Metheny's 'The Orchestrion Project', but he's been doing robotic musical instruments for a long time. I remember the first time I saw a video of Eric work - it was the reveal for the Guitarbot, and it was jaw-dropping at the time. Eric was a maker before there was such a thing, and was doing cool robots when robots weren't part of artistic practice. He was learning machining, embedded coding and electronic design when those phrases were more industrial 'work' than creative 'play'. And he ended up paving the way for all of us. You can check out his current work at his http://www.singerbots.com/ site. In this interview, we start the discussion with him about his background, some of his work with Pat (and others), and the process of coming up-to-speed on gear he had never considered part of the 'practice'. We ran out of time long before we ran out of topics, but we'll continue the chat next week. Enjoy!

Carl-Mikael Björk's Cabinet of Curiosities is one of the most fun channels on YouTube. From walk-throughs of his writing process to Elektron check-ins or Max visual demos, Carl is out front on a lot of things we are digging. He has a unique video style which, combined with stunning video quality, makes it a favorite for me - and for me to recommend to others. I got a chance to hang out with Carl in LA at the Loop conference, and we had a great time talking about everything from music releases to video camera selection. I was happy to also be able to book a chat with him for the podcast, and we had a great chat - this one is one you get to hear! If you haven't already, check out Carl-Mikael's Cabinet of Curiosities here on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLejlP7lr3PFX8Rrz1nN69Q He's also easy to find on Facebook, Instagram and elsewhere. He's also got a great Patreon offering. You can find about all of it at his main Cabinet site: http://cabcurio.com/ Enjoy!

I enjoy having an opportunity to interview my friends - just because the 'interview' process is actually different from a friendly chat, and I end up learning things that I never knew from 'just talking'. Richard has been a friend forever - probably since we were sitting on crates at the NYC AES show, waiting for the forklift drivers (and we waited forever because we weren't willing to bribe anyone...). Richard is an amazing fount of knowledge, from classical music pedagogy to DSP programming technique - and all of the things he knows are driven from personal interest. He pursues his interests with vigor, and that's what made me want to have this discussion. From his time at IRCAM, through his time at Cycling '74 and now with his work at Hanyang University, Richard brings depth and honor to the rugged sport of serious music. I hope you enjoy this talk, and please check out his work at http://www.richarddudas.com/ (My favorite piece is Prelude No. 2 for Clarinet and Computer, FWIW).  Enjoy!

Back in episode 66, I first chatted with Bert Schiettecatte - who, along with partner Celine, has been making the Percussa brand of music interfaces purr for the last decade-and-a-half. When we talked to them back then, they were about to run with a Kickstarter for their SSP Eurorack module; now, it's a success - and has spawned a new progeny. The Micro SSP has its own kickstarter (http://kck.st/2FB69kg), and looks to be a smaller and more affordable way for anyone to get into the SSP ecosystem. As with our earlier conversation, talking with Bert is pretty easy - he's got his hands in every part of the development of the device, and is willing to talk about it all! I enjoy talking with him because he tends to downplay the amount of work he's done, but is also realistic about the amount of work it took to accomplish the result. He's killing it with this module, but he's been killing it all along with the development of Percussa interface devices. I hope you enjoy this 'cast - it's a revelation to hear about th

When your resume begins with Disney, runs through Teddy Ruxpin and includes World of Warcraft, Diablo III and Starcraft II, you probably don't even need a resume at all! Russell Brower has had a hand in many of the pieces of the entertainment world that you've interacted with, and has had the opportunity to work in sound design, sound editing, composition and sound team leadership. But for all of that, he's a laid back guy that loves storytelling - something found in conversation, and in all his music. Our chat was kicked off by Paul Schreiber, but we quickly came to realize that we spoke each other's language; as a result, this isn't a typical "Hey, you know, WOW - that was cool." kind of interview. Instead, we talked about how one learns from the masters, how storytelling involves both active and reactive work, and the kind of opportunities that occur because of generations growing up immersed in your work (i.e., you get to conduct an orchestra in Beijing!). I had the good luck of meeting with Russell for s

It all started with a discussion at Cycling '74 about getting content for the most recent release. We needed some multichannel audio, and someone mentioned that Garth Paine was doing work with mulitchannel audio. We contacted him, and he was able to help - but the story wasn't complete. I started looking into his other work, and I kept on getting intrigued. Work with dancers. Work with instruments and I've never heard of. I needed to know more! Garth was happy to dial in from his current work with IRCAM, and we ended up chatting about everything from cellphone audio to festival curation. Oh, and about the Karlax, whatever the hell that is! You can find out a lot more about Garth and his work at http://www.activatedspace.com/. He also has some music available on his Bandcamp page: https://garthpaine.com/ This was a great chat, and I'm already looking forward to the next time I get a chance to meet with him. Enjoy the podcast!

I've been wanted to do a podcast focus on software modular video synthesis; doing that made one person's name stick in my head: Kevin Kripper. Kevin is the developer behind the Vsynth package for Max, which provides a mind-melting set of objects/modules that are perfect for all kinds of bizarre visual work. But it comes from a musician-ly place, so it feels very comfortable to anyone with a modular synth (or music tech) background. Hugely interesting. In our chat, we not only talk about Vsynth and his development, but also a little bit about his corner of the world. Kevin is based out of Buenos Aires, and it is interesting to hear how many of the things he encounters are different - and some are the same - as things we all run into. Galleries, festivals, grants and commissions, gear costs, art communities, we cover all of them (at least a little). You can check out Kevin's work at his YouTube video page (https://www.youtube.com/user/kevinkatet/videos), or via his Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/vsynth

Note: This is a heavily-edited version of our discussion. If you want to hear (most of) the whole discussion, which lasts about 1:30, you can download it here: http://traffic.libsyn.com/artmusictech/podcast_250_PSchreiber-Long.mp3) For the 250th episode, I decided to go back to the interview that helped put this podcast on the map. Episode 13 featured Paul Schreiber, and we discussed everything from the kickoff of his business to the importance of Eurorack. The interview took of (thanks to Synthtopia's coverage and social media), and the podcast was off and running. In this chat, we get into his latest devices, which are much more ambitious undertakings. We also learn about his experiences with Kickstarter, his upcoming book project, and get his read on the world of gaming. There's no end of fun when talking with Paul; you'll hear me howling with laughter in the background. If you aren't familiar with Synthesis Technology - where have you been? Check out their latest work here: http://www.synthtech.com/ Final

One of the more influential people in my adult life has been Trace Reddell: he was a professor in the Media program at University of Denver when I was there, and he opened my head to thinking about music, sound and video in a new way. His Expanded Cinema class rewired my brain for visuals, and his Technicians of Space series helped my understand the connection between many different kinds of musical production. In this chat, we dive into his explorations into sci-fi sound - going way deeper than the typical "The Barrons did it..." approach. Whether you are talking about the musical scores developed by Vangelis, or the sound of a character that helps it seem alien - all of these sounds are subject to review and understanding. This was a great talk with an academic that is also a friend. I hope that you enjoy listening to our chat. Cheers!

I have to admit that I don't know many people that would self-classify as a "punk PhD", but Shawn Trail is that. From a background of punk, hip hop and jazz, and through his electroacoustic and computer music studies, Shawn carries his edge with him throughout his travels. And those travels have been pretty extensive, taking him to Africa to study percussion, on the road with Pat Metheny (supporting the touring Orchestrion Project) and into many studios for production work. Shawn has a deep interest in robots, and many of our recent (offline) discussions have been about the way that machines can extend the facility of a great musician. But he is also passionate about computers and music, considering the laptop as the 'most prevalent folk instrument of our time'. You can probably understand why we get along! Follow our chat as we discuss his background, his work with Metheny, and his vision for the future (and how it ties into the past). And check out his work at http://shawntrail.co/ Enjoy!

If you follow my Instagram, Facebook or Twitter feed, you know that I'm a monome fan. Brian Crabtree and Kelli Cain have created company that consistently nails both the functionality and the design factors that draw me in - and that seems to be the case with a lot of people. They not make great products, but they tend to drive the industry in new directions. Recently, monome put out a new device that has really captured my attention: the norns. This is a standalone computing device, based off of Raspberry Pi technology, but fine-tuned for music making, creative coding and all-around media art fun. I was very excited to talk to Brian about the development - and actuality - of the norns device. But there's another change in the world since our last discussion (200 episodes ago - podcast #47): the popularity of the lines community. Lines (llllllll.co). It was just starting when we last talked, now it is one of my favorite online hangouts. Whether talking about code, music or books, this community is loaded with

There aren't many corners of the programming globe that I haven't visited, but Swift programming is something I've not explored. When Matthew Fecher reached out to me about the AudioKit project, I was a little chagrined that I had not worked with it before. As I dug into it, I was even more amazed - this framework provides easy access to many tools and strategies, and it's hard to imagine that I'd not taken it for a drive. The project first came on my radar as a talking point by people that were frustrated with iOS audio programs and wanted to hack their own. But as I read more, I realized that is was a viable tool for MacOS programming as well. I was anxious to chat with these folks, and Aure and Matthew were kind enough to oblige. We talk about all kinds of stuff: making end-user applications, developer-facing code libraries, becoming a DSP programmer, becoming an audio fanatic while growing up in farm country, and the influence of KISS on us all. Does that sound like a broad enough conversation? It was so

From the second I saw the Akemie's Castle module, I knew I'd want to talk to its developer, Matthew Allum. What a module - and what a name! I knew there had to be stories about what was going on. I've also notices that almost every case I'm seeing has a Pamela's Workout module. Matthew let me try out a few modules, and now I understand why these are so ubiquitous: it has so much functionality (presented in such a clear fashion) that it has become central to my patches. So now it all makes sense. Talking with Matthew was a breeze - he's into his work, but he's also thoughtful about how he works, and the ideas that turn into his modules. He's got a lot of new work coming out, but he's also working on improving existing devices - and making modules for himself and his friends, too. If you haven't checked out the ALM/Busy Circuits range yet, you can do so at Matthew's web site: http://busycircuits.com/. This was a fun chat - enjoy! Thanks to Splice for their support of this podcast. You can help out the podcast b

I was at a SEAMUS conference last year and was intrigued by a presentation about an organization called SPLICE - and institute/ensemble/festival combo that attempts to inject electronic music and technologies into the context of music performance and composition. It's a great way of introducing one context into another, and it features some of the most dynamic people in music academia that I've met. Christopher Biggs is at the heart of the SPLICE organization, and he took some time out of his schedule to fill me in on their activities, and their approach to making a year-round project that extends the festival/institute efforts. We also talked a bit about technology and music education, and how music academics fit within the realm of modern music-making. I'm looking forward to learning more about SPLICE, and getting a chance to hear the ensemble next time I might have a chance. I'm also interested in how this can change the way that electro-acoustic music composition can be embraced by the broader music commu

There are many people that we've heard about through the history of electronic music device development: David Smith, Roger Linn, Ikutaru Kakehashi and others. But there are many people that are less heralded - but still critical to the game. Denis Labrecque is one of those people: as a marketer/developer/designer, he was involved in the music industry well before MIDI made its mark, continuing through the MIDI/computer age, and continuing now into more compact and focused hybrid devices. Denis has gotten a chance to see it all. In our chat, we mostly focus on Denis' history within the industry, starting with Star Instruments (designers of the Synare), to Passport Designs (which started off working on Apple II computers, but quickly jumped on the MIDI wagon), to Emu and then Analog Devices. He has always worked a bit in the background, but anyone that has been at a tradeshow will probably have bumped into him over the years. He has worked on many of the things that make our musical world possible, and it was