My art band 0th played on July 15th at The Lab in SF for Mission Creek Music Festival.  This time JapJap was in Las Vegas so both JapJap and myself MNDR skyped in for the show.  The Lab is a space for multi-media art and proved to be an excellent venue for 0th.

Unannounced to us, CNET had heard wind of our skype performances and were interested in doing a piece about 0th on CNET.  So they interviewed Statue of Liberty and Gloat about the set up and the mission of the project.  For this performance JapJap and myself choreographed movements for the visual aspects of the show, along with contributing live synth, samplers, and singing.  Gloat played drums, MAX MSP, brought her robots, clarinet, and sang.  Statue of Liberty played violin, sang, and also performance art.  They smashed LEDS inside of glass and also contributed to movement.  The audio always turns out better than expected thanks to our friend Wobbly.  Here is the CNET permalink along with a screen shot of the produced piece on CNET.

We also uploaded the entire performance on youtube.

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I think it is time that I speak about my unconditional love for the 909. I do not have one, only 10,000 were made, but I use them pretty consistently in my trax. I have also modeled a 909 kick using my Nord G2 engine.

The 909 was designed in 1984 by Tadao Kikumoto who also designed the legendary 303. The 909 sounds more artificial than its predecessor Roland TR-808. The evolution of these drum machines from the 808 to the 909 are really distinct when comparing the kick drums. Prior to the 909, drum machines were designed to sound and replace “real” drums. The 909 was designed to sound artificial. To me the 909 is the first drum machine that was designed as its own instrument with its own characteristics. It was not meant to replace or mimic, but to make something new.

My favorite thing about the 909 is that it connected Detroit Techno to Chicago House in the 1980′s. Juan Atkins (Godfather of Detroit techno), who traditionally used 808′s, quickly moved to the 909 and began another revolution in techno known as acid.

The 909 was first used in Detroit by Juan Atkins and Derrick May of the Belleville Three and Deep Space. When Derrick May could not pay for his rent he sold the 909 to Frankie Knuckles in Chicago and that began the influence of the 909 onto Chicago house.

I was at a FAB’s studio in the lower east side mixing one of my new records Sparrow.  His studio is truly outrageous with an amazing live room, mini-grand piano, collapsable walls and vocal booth, a couple of mix rooms, along with an engineer that just modifies gear full-time at the studio. It is not a huge surprise that this studio has a radical collection of vintage synth’s and drum machines such as; Sequential Circuits Prophet 5, Moog Voyager, Oberheim Expander, bass Rhodes Keyboard (most famously used by Tina Weymouth live in Talking Heads Speaking Tongues movie directed by Jonathen Demme), etc.

However the absolute mind melter was the TUBON.  He had just purchased one and it was living in a fancy poster tube.  Fab is having his engineer modify it so it works more efficiently.  Apparently the power is totally cuckoo and can pretty much light you on fire.

The Tubon was designed and manufactued in Sweden by Joh Mustad AB.  It’s a sort of tube shaped keytar manufactured in 1966 with contrabass, saxaphone, electric bass and woodwind with an internal speaker.  Check out Matrixsynth post for more detailed information.   It was most famously used by the Beatles on the Sgt. Peppers record and probably was best used by Kraftwerk.  The bass is truly guttural and distinct.

I felt slightly empty after seeing it because after years of being a synthphile I just saw one of the most rare indeed.  Like an archeologist that discovered the most rare Viking Ship preserved in clay.  Just like well..what’s next.

OK here are my “live” pics of the Tubon.  However, I blew it and forgot to put my specs next to it.  SO DUMB!!  Also found a pic of Paul McCartney and the advertisement on the world wide web.

Dominique Young Unique (Tampa!) myspaced me over the weekend.  We have some friends in common, mainly Willie Isz.  I absolutely feel in love with her record Music Time (listen to it on her myspace).  I have been playing it for everyone I meet and I can not get it out of my head.  She is part of the Yo Majesty crew out of Tampa.  She is only 17 and is making really great records.  Look out for her she is about to blow it up.

Dominique Young Unique (Tampa!)

My bandmate from Triangle, Brian Tester, turned me ont the Sound Lab Mini Synth’s.  He found this man named Alan who lives in the UK who was making battery powered versions of Ray Wilson’s infamous Sound Lab’s in a suitcase with an internal speaker.

I have been using mine in the studio often and for live use.  It has two VCO-CV, VCF-CV, and a GATE IN in order to trigger it from another signal/sound or use it with a keyboard.  It is truly sick and the GATE IN is extremely sensitive.

I have owned mine for almost three years, but I understand that Alan does not make them anymore because it was not cost effective.  However, you can buy the kits and assemble your own.  Please post a link in my comments if you can find his website (I couldn’t).

Project synths and pedals are becoming more common.  It is difficult to find ones that sound amazing and allow for a wide range of sonic possibilities.  This synth was designed with much of that in mind and because of that it sounds truly next and dynamic.

I have already used it on my single FADE TO BLACK and JUMP IN.  Look for it on stage, because I play with it live for all of my new set.  It will be blinking lights at me with only 9volts to power its bone shaking capabilities.

I had the honor of meeting Dave Smith the designer of all Sequential Circuits. at an Eats Tapes/White Willimans concert in San Francisco.  I was super nervous.  His most famouse synth is the Prophet 5, the first programable polyphonic synthesizer.  It is probably one of the most decade defining synths of all time.  My favorite use is on Talking Heads Speaking in Tongues. Regardless, it is a classic and timeless synth!

My band Triangle made our entire first out of print EP using a TOM.  We had two and I had the latin and sound effects cartridge.  I love love love this drum machine.  It is 8 bit and sounds amazing because a true genuis designed it.  The claps are unstoppable.  Peter and I are working on a track right now and we plugged in the TOM to get that snare and clap sound.

claps!

OMG!  Check out this youtube demo.

Also here are some pics of a Prophet 5 and the undeniable consumer monophonic synth, Sequenctial Circuits Pro-One (which reminds me of a Yamaha CS 10….Dave Smith later sold Sequential Circuits to Yamaha).

Dave Smith has not stopped in making defining gear.  I have only programmed the Evolver.  You can check out all of his new designs on his website.

First Programmable Polyphonic Synth

Monophonic Synth

Synth and Sequencer

I love these synths. Especially the Yamaha CS-1. The size of a Casio SK-1 with the bass of a Mini-Moog

Tiny Big Bass

I am also using a CS-15 filters all over my new records. Running beats and signals from Pro Tools into the CS-15 and manipulating the filters. Nerdy, but it sounds SO good!

I also use the Arturia CS-80 soft synth for demo’s. I have never seen a real one, but I want one.

I have been using REAKTOR off and on since the late 90′s. Recently I was hired to design a synth set up for the YeahYeahYeahs and we used REAKTORS ARP OMNI with Logic Mainstage. It sounds exactly like an ARP. Unreal, super easy to midi map and load as a VST.

SYNTH

I am using this VST constantly for writing songs for other artists, remixes, demos, and my own tracks. I love it, it is free and the designer will answer tech support questions. Great for bass lines and its midi mapping function is super easy and stable for live use. All I can say is DONATE DONATE DONATE, designer deserves every penny.

TAL-U-No-62 i

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a polyphonic virtual analogue synthesizer with a “unique” filter sound. An original Roland Juno-60 was used as reference for the oscillators, filters and controls.

Micro Nord has been my main touring everything piece of gear. It is tiny but undeniably brutal sounding. Just has a rotten brutal sound. It is all over my new recordings including all of the old ones.