New blog online

Some things just takes time, this is certainly one of that cases

I try ed to put the website up, but unfortunately i have limited resources in the php and web development and also limited time, so i try ed my best but was enought. I came up with some other resolution because we were getting tons of traffic in the old blog, so i decided the wordpress solution.

New layout and a bunch of new things including interviews and a small store for some electronic devices, also for those who are interested in circuit bending d.i.y etc in Lisbon area there’s a new space its called Alt/Lab and its open to new people and new ideas.

For now thats it hope you all enjoy the new blog.

Here is the new adress http://beepglitch.wordpress.com/

Labels: beepglitch, design, music, new

No news post until new site is on air

Hi all
We are currently in a process of porting this blog to a new and improved website.
This is taking a long time because its only me thats is doing all the work.
I apologise for that and in October the new site should be up and running, but until then theres should be no new posts, this process takes all my time (and im working faster i can to do this update, but this alsos messes with PHP and its so confusing ..:) )
So back to work

Labels: new, php, site

Tom bugs interview

After the workshop in lisbon were we produced This (we put together), i thought it was a good idea to publish an interview in this blog from Tom Bugs from Bugbrand, after a couple emails ,here it is.


Tom, you have been working for a long time in music and producing your own instruments.
In your opinion whats the importance of diy electronics in contemporary music ?

The Inspiration - music is by no means a science. Inspiration comes in many forms and from many angles. A major aim for my own productions has been to make devices that will surprise you with new ideas - both in terms of sounds and also in interface, how you play the instrument.
The Process - the world moves quickly, there is a culture of throwaway or more-more-more. By making something yourself you take the time to sink yourself in to the process. By using hardware rather than software you have a fixed system that you can learn and come back to again and again. One of the problems I have with computer music today is that there is often *too many* possibilities - the controls of your instrument keep on shifting, so it is hard to learn that instrument.


Also have you feeling that homemade instruments and circuit bending are bringing more people to the electronic music scene?

Maybe! The synth DIY arena is very active today, though its still very niche too - definitely not for everyone. Circuit bending is certainly a great leveler - anyone can get involved very easily. The internet is probably the single most important factor in nurturing this as it presents so much information and sharing possibilities.



In your workshop in lisbon i saw that most people didn't have electronic knowledge, and they don´t feel threaten by it.
What your opinion on that ?

Hehe, well, the design we made in the workshop was very much designed so that it could easily be put together by anyone, even without experience in electronics. As I say at the beginning of such workshops, electronics can be a darn confusing when starting out (and beyond too) - people get put off if their first attempts at electronics don't work, so it is good to make a complete project which you can be pretty certain will work first time. That hopefully gives a good feeling for carrying on to other projects!
There is so much info about on the net for beginning electronics, but it can be very hard to see the wood for the trees - there is a lot of different things to try to get your head around, so doing a complete project kit is a good way to be introduced.



Like i said in the beginning this is a small interview, so do you have any last words for all the enthusiasts out there ?

Well, going back to the first question, I should say that I've actually only been doing electronics for about 5 years (oh, and also that it has pretty much crushed my more musical / recording output too!).
I've had virtually no 'proper' training - I've just learned by trying things out lots and lots, with info from the net and from books.
If you want to, jump on in!



Thanks for the kind words hope to see you soon here in lisbon again.

Bugbrand

Labels: circuit bending, diy, interview, tom bugs

Adachi Tomomi

This is one of that rare finds in the net when beautiful instruments become also beautiful music.
Adachi as some of the most simplicity objects and yet simply astonishing.
I guess circuit bending dyi is this the perfect combination between hardware and music.
"ADACHI Tomomi, born in Kanazawa, Japan in 1972, is performer, composer, sound poet, installation artist, occasional theater director. He studied philosophy and aesthetics at Waseda University in Tokyo. He has played improvised music with voice, live electronics and self-made instruments. He had composed works for his own group "Adachi Tomomi Royal Chorus" which is a punk-style choir. He has performed contemporary music: vocal and performance works by John Cage, Cornelius Cardew, Dieter Schnebel, Yuji Takahashi and Fluxus including world premier and Japan premier. He is the only performer of sound poetry in Japan and has performed Kurt Schwitters's "Ursonate" for the first time in Japan. He has made several sound installations and original instruments (e.g."Tomomin", his hand made electric instrument is familiar with many musicians). In the field of theater music, he has collaborated with some experimental theaters and dancers, especially he worked in duo group "VACA" with Un Yamada; contemporary dancer, from 2000. "VACA" was exploring new relationship between dance/dancer and music/musician. He also has organized many concerts which picks up experimental music, sound art, collaboration work and inter-disciplinary performance in Japan and Germany, include concerts for Chris Mann, Trevor Wishart, Nicolas Collins and STEIM in Japan. He has performed with numerous musicians including Jaap Blonk, Nicolas Collins, Carl Stone, SAKATA Akira, Erhart hirt, Butch Morris, Jon Rose, OTOMO Yoshihide in Japan, United States and Europe. He has presented his works in many kinds venues include IRCAM/Centre Pompidou, Waker Art Center and STEIM. As a critic, he has written some articles of visual art, music and performance art on papers and magazines. He had participated in the art theory bulletin "Method" 2000-2001. He started visual art (computer aided photograph, video and installation) in 2003. He directed Japanese premiere of John Cage's "Europera5" in 2007. Recently, he is focusing his activities on solo performance (with voice, sensors, computer, self-made instruments), sound poetry (especially to the unknown great Japanese sound poetry tradition), video installation and workshop style big ensemble with non-professional voice and instruments."

Adachi Tomomi

Labels: circuit bending, diy, music

Machinecollective

Im excited...are you ?
If not just see this.

"In spite of all the smart, multifunctional and state-of-the-art controllers that are commercially available today, there has always been demand for custom physical interfaces and specialized controllers. That's why we have developed a modular prototyping platform. The prototyping modules are aimed at researchers, artists, musicians, circuitbenders and performers who want to use high quality controls without spending too much time on manufacturing or trying to find a suitable enclosure.

Machinecollective understands your needs and we're here to help you out! We are working on a range of modules based on frequently used components, sensors and indicators. The prototyping modules are designed to work with development platforms such as Arduino and Wiring. The modules can also be used for other purposes such as circuitbending, DIY synths, analog sequencers or plain old electronics projects."

Machinecollective

Labels: circuit bending, controller

Tom Bugs, Goodiepal

This week i have been attending to a series of workshops in Lisbon made by "Um festival".
The first workshop was "building yourself a noize machine" and was presented by Tom Bugs from Bugbrand, that was simple, a kit, some soldering irons, lots of resistors and a whole lot more of capacitators, the end result ...Lots of ours of fun and a cool device with 3 oscillators.
When talking to Tom after the workshop we promised me a interview to be publish here soon.
Then came the Goodiepal workshop and the educational presentation of its book "Mort Aux Vaches Ekstra Extra"
There we talked about music desconstrution, the music tempo and the influence of it in modern music, also some quantum mechanics theories, goodiepal mechanical birds and ofcourse mickey mouse (that is a joke).
The overall result was positive but i think somethimes the crown lost a bit of perspective adressing goodiepal.
Ofcourse a interview will be posted soon here too.
Im really glad of attending this discussion about modern music and the new forms influences to it.

Goodiepal
Tom Bugs
Um festival

Labels: bugbrand, circuit bending, goodiepal, workshop

Cellular Recombomat

Sascha as alerted me about this cellular automata based synth, stuff, whatever i must say something, after viewing the videos and see what this baby can do ...i want one (first the klee sequencer, then Seq v3 "midibox" then this one) ah ah ah i have so much work to do..
"My main idea with this gadget was to have optical control over the three main basic cellular automata (CA) controls (which are controlled by the pots on the right side, from the top): algorithm (the algorithm used to generate the type of cell which also controls what tone is generated based on the object created), width across the grid, and speed of cellular generation, each line generated one at a time from top to bottom. I replaced the LEDs in the snake lites reaching in from behind with optical resistors and each equate to the three pot-based control parameters. Ultimately I wanted to have the optical resistors control the output to the video screen, thus creating a recombinant feedback control loop. I couldn't wait to see what that would look like! But, after casing up, only the algorithm optical control worked. Something inside must have gotten squished or shorted, which is not surprising considering the pile of spaghetti and circuit boards I had to shove into the tiny case (which, by the way, started its life as a VTECH LessonOne, a boring in itself educational toy but the perfect case for this gadget! And, a perfect fit for a 7" LCD monitor ripped from a "broken" portable DVD player.)"

Cellular Recombomat

Labels: cellular automata, circuit bending, design