I am making MNDR dance 12 inches right now.  I can’t stop.  After playing shows and hanging with my friends Eats Tapes I just dove back into making techno or techno influenced records.  Feels like a bath of spaghetti.

This new record is titled Variation Repition.  All of the synth work for this record was made on my Sound Lab Suitcase Synth.  I made the initial beat and then ran a signal out to the CV Gate on the Soundlab in order to trigger it in sequence.  I also made some different keyboard midi sequences and than sent those signals out to the synth in order to make different keyboard leads.

I bounced the Soundlab synth stems and then ran them through this filter pluggin made by Sound Toys called Filter Freak.  This is hands down the best sounding and most unique filter pluggin I have heard or used.

Eats Tapes (Tigerbeat 6) from SF via Berlin have just released a free ep. I toured with them in August 2008 and will also be touring a “Nor-Easter” with them in early August 2009. Check www.myspace.com/mndrtronica and www.myspace.com/eatstapes for shows and dates.

They are a live techno duo that are by far the best I have ever seen for live sequencing with old school drum machines/sequencers/synths.  They also have some home made electronics and some circuit bent instruments.  A lot of groups got into live techno, but few if any really execute it live.  There is a lot to handle when you have drum machines, sequencers…etc on stage and still make a seamless set with builds, transitions, and boom kicks for a modern style set.  They are on par with the greats from Detroit and Berlin.

Download their new EP www.eatstapes.com and play it until you melt into a pile of blood.  Sweaty Blood!

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