Art + Music + Technology

Unfortunately, today is the last day of podcasting for the Art + Music + Technology podcast. Health issues have gotten in the way, and it would be impossible to continue. You can read the transcription of this article, as well as finding some interesting writing on my Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/posts/66445163 Thank you for being such a great group of friends and supporters during this long series of music 

Oh yeah! I’ve been working on getting this interview for a while. It combines modular synths (love ‘em), compositional techniques, an extremely busy schedule – and even using the voice as an instrument! The time that I got to spend with Martha Bahr (Panic Girl) was more than amazing – it was transforming for me. The way that Martha approaches her work is going to be helpful to anyone making electronic music. So I just spilt the beans on a few of the topic we covered, but we were all over the place. And we got along like old friends – even though I don’t think we’d ever met. Martha is super-easy to talk to, and leads a very interesting life, so doing this interview was like falling out of a tree. I don’t need to talk this one up much – truly one of my favorite interviews ever. Dig in! Oh, and you can check out her new album here: https://iuwerecords.bandcamp.com/album/washed-ashore Transcription available at http://www.darwingrosse.com/AMT/transcript-0380.html Exclusive extra content on the Patron page: https://www.patreon.com/darwingrosse

So there are precious few music software packages that will come up during discussions at my family’s dinner table. Logic? No way. Ableton Live? Mainly because the kids really like their T-shirts. But if I want to get the kids chattering, I can bring up the family’s retro-love of Guitar Hero or Rock Band. And who was leading product development of those products? Today’s guess – Greg LoPiccolo! Greg has moved onto new things – including his new company, ToneStone (https://tonestone.com/) And while he’s no longer creating consumer games, the idea of combining a game mentality with music is still in his bones. But now, instead of trying to match riffs with Zakk Wylde or Slash, you are actually producing, mixing and sharing your own musical creations. Greg is really into many game-oriented ideas surrounding this effort, and it is really interesting to dig into his mind to see how he is creating his simple but deep music production project. I push to find out the limits, and to find out the perspective that make it unique in the marketplace. Enjoy! Transcription available at http://www.darwingrosse.com/AMT/transcript-0379.html Exclusive extra content on the Patron page: https://www.patreon.com/darwingrosse

What can I say about Jean-François Charles, other than he is amazing! He is one of the people in this world that has bothered to describe spectral processing in a way that is both musical and accessible (to the extent that it can be…), and has backed it up with a great career of both performance and academics. With training as both an engineer and a musician, he was perfectly situated for the oncoming rush of music technology, and both his musical work and his teachings are ground-breaking. In our discussion, we talk about his history, his current work, and his clarinet+electronics release Electroclarinet (https://www.electroclarinet.com/p/listen.html). We also dig into what made him fascinated with spectral processing in particular, and how he was influenced by many (but particularly by Stockhausen) to feature that in his work. We also learn a bit about how he creates a ‘score’, including the processing bits, that are sharable with this world. You can hear the Electroclarinet pieces above, and learn more about his body of work on his website (https://www.jeanfrancoischarles.com/). Check out some of those papers; they were seminal works that got a lot of people to dig in beyond just using someone else’s software. It’s also great that Jean-François not only sells access to the written scores for some of his work, but also bundles them with electronic forms for performance. You can see all of the on his Gumroad site: https://newfloremusic.gumroad.com/ Enjoy! Transcription available at http://www.darwingrosse.com/AMT/transcript-0378.html Exclusive extra content on the Patron page: https://www.patreon.com/darwingrosse

Udit Duseja has built quite a career. Starting off dropping Pro Tools markers while hanging at a recording studio, he is now doing sound design and sound editing work across a wide range of films. In preparing for this interview, I did a fair amount of research (watching films – oh, so hard!), and was blown away by the consistent quality, and often unexpected surprises, found in his work. In our discussion, we chat about his background growing up in India, his studies at University of Edenborough, and how he shaped his career to be a multi-continental sound artist. We also get some glimpses into how he approaches sound design,  as well as some of the ways that he puts together the sound library that is at the core of his practice. We also dig into the details of the tools that he uses, and how he approaches layers (and in many cases recreating) the sound environments that are provided in a film. He also describes some of the details of working with directors – and especially how that works in our current COVID (and post-COVID) world. For more information, you can check out http://www.uditduseja.com Enjoy! Transcription available at http://www.darwingrosse.com/AMT/transcript-0377.html Exclusive extra content on the Patron page: https://www.patreon.com/darwingrosse

Sometimes my attention is grabbed by something unexpected. In researching Peder Simonsen, I was very impressed with his production work, his work with modular system – but then I read about his work with the tuba. Microtonal tuba. In a group. That stopped me in my tracks, and I had to learn more. I ended up having a fascinating conversation with Peder, and got an amazing education about so many things! In our discussion, we talk about microtonal tuba – and it, how does it work? – the application of microtonalism with his modular system, and his unique compositional and structural concepts. His recordings have a unique way of developing over time – there’s a linearity to them that I found really intriguing, and we explored how he hears the music that he’s making. Peder is also involved in a lot of groups, and also does a fair amount of production work with others. This puts him in a position to work on many types of collaboration, and we dig into this as well. How do you write for a microtonal tuba trio? How do you mix a modular system with an experimental jazz orchestra? So damned interesting… For more information, you can check out the following: Peder’s web page: https://www.pedersimonsen.com/ Robin Hayward’s microtonal tuba - https://robinhayward.com/eng/mitontuba.php Sofa Music - label of microtub and many other experimental Norwegians: https://www.sofamusic.no/ Tubbutec microtonal tuning module - https://tubbutec.de/%C2%B5tune/ Enjoy! Transcription available at http://www.darwingrosse.com/AMT/transcript-0376.html Exclusive extra content on the Patron page: https://www.patreon.com/darwingrosse

Steuart Liebig’s story is quite amazing. From high school jazz gigging, through extensive touring, to a spot as part of LA’s verdant experimental jazz scene, Steuart’s life of music is quite amazing. A proponent of the 6-string bass, you can find Steuart working in groups with Nels Cline, Wayne Peet and G.E. Stinson. His listing on discogs.com is pretty stunning, as is the stack of tracks that he has made available on his Bandcamp page. So, of course, I had to have a chat! What I found was an interesting guy that has that laid back attitude that clues you in on his experience. In our discussion, we chatted about his history, his instrument selection, how he approaches effects use, and how he’s integrating his new modular synth into his musical work. Check out Steuart’s work here: https://steuartliebig.bandcamp.com/ Enjoy! Transcription available at http://www.darwingrosse.com/AMT/transcript-0375.html Exclusive extra content on the Patron page: https://www.patreon.com/darwingrosse

OK, so this is a little different… I, and many of my coworkers, tend to do special things around the number “74” (the company name is Cycling ’74, if you didn’t already know). For #374, I decided that I’d talk to David Zicarelli again – just like I did in #74. When I asked him, he rejected the interview format, and wanted to do a Q&A, where we’d each get to ask each other questions. It started off interview-ish, but ended up with some interesting personal revelations. It helps that David and I have a great relationship, and that we’ve been chatting each other up for decades. So, given the chance to ask anything, what did we ask each other? Well, it ranges from vinyl, to performance context, to self-motivation – and a million other things. Frankly, it’s hard to even remember everything we talked about, but you get to find out yourself! Enjoy! Transcription available at http://www.darwingrosse.com/AMT/transcript-0374.html Exclusive extra content on the Patron page: https://www.patreon.com/darwingrosse

I’ve been trying to get Elainie Lillios on the podcast for some time. I’ve seen her, and heard her work at SEAMUS conferences in the past, and she has come up in conversations several times during the course of the podcast. So I was quite excited when we finally were able to pull this together. This interview gives me a great opportunity: I get to quiz someone on how they compose – but also, how they get their compositions into the hands of people that will perform them, and how to deal with the peculiarities of individual performers. Elainie’s work has been widely performed, and getting to the point where that is doable – well, that’s a challenge. In addition to her work and her process, we also get a look into Elainie’s background, and particularly how she was able to combine her education with personal perspectives to achieve her standing as a composer-of-note. We also learn about her relationship with teaching (and students), and the effect that teaching has on her compositional efforts. As hoped, this was a wonderful discussion, and I’m really glad I can share it with you. Enjoy! Transcription available at http://www.darwingrosse.com/AMT/transcript-0373.html Exclusive extra content on the Patron page: https://www.patreon.com/darwingrosse

Cameron Warner Jones is the kind of person that, once you’ve heard of him, you just want to get to know him. Imagine a person that gets his start in the dark halls of Dartmouth’s Computer Music halls, designs and implements the complex musical system used by everyone at the time, then carries on the work through the years. You know there are stories there, right? Especially when the ‘musical system’ at hand is the Synclavier Digital Music System, which was used by everyone from Laurie Anderson through Frank Zappa. This system influenced everything that came later, and much of it was driven by Cameron’s efforts. In this discussion, we cover his background, his work at Dartmouth, his work with Sydney Alonso on the development of NED (New England Digital) as a business, and the Synclavier as a product. We also talk about some of the technical details that were required to bring it home, and how those details have been maintained through the years as the technology has matured and morphed among hardware hosts. Longer than usual, this podcast required time to come together – but is worth every second.  Enjoy! Transcription available at http://www.darwingrosse.com/AMT/transcript-0372.html Exclusive extra content on the Patron page: https://www.patreon.com/darwingrosse

I’ve long been interested in sound design and post-production work, so when I got the opportunity to interview Peter Albrechtsen and David Barber, I jumped at the chance. Peter and David worked on the movie The Killing Of Two Lovers (by Robert Machoian), which is rather unique because it has no traditional musical score; all of the sound in the movie is a combination of location sound, foley and designed sounds, carefully mixed into a minimalist-but-complex soundscape. In our discussion, we learn about how this kind of work was developed, how Peter and David worked together to pull it off, and the lengths taken to perfect the sound of the movie. We also learn about each of their backgrounds, as well as explore the future work they are planning. And, as a bonus, we get to learn about how post-production works in a fast-paced, highly collaborative environment. You can find The Killing Of Two Lovers on streaming services, and I strongly suggest you checking it out. It’s a wonderful experience, and will open your mind to new ways of considering movie sound. Enjoy! Transcription available at http://www.darwingrosse.com/AMT/transcript-0371.html Exclusive extra content on the Patron page: https://www.patreon.com/darwingrosse

Part of my history is attending and teaching at University of Denver in the Emerging Digital Practices program. One of the professors in this department is Chris Coleman, and he was a fascinating person to be around – he was always digging into new technologies, checking out both software and hardware opportunities, and inspiring people to try things outside their comfort zone. In our discussion, we dive into microprocessors, open source software, physical vs. digital concerns and NFT’s. And, of course, we dig into Chris’ background to find out more about what makes him the artist – and professor – that he is. I really appreciate this discussion because we are able to dig into some technical issues (like NFT minting) that I needed to learn about, and Chris is sharing-first when it comes to everything. I’m sure you’ll get that from this interview! You can check out DU’s EDP program here: https://liberalarts.du.edu/emergent-digital-practices Enjoy! Transcription available at http://www.darwingrosse.com/AMT/transcript-0370.html Exclusive extra content on the Patron page: https://www.patreon.com/darwingrosse

When Andrew Pask pointed me toward Plan 9 (and made an initial introduction), I couldn’t really tell what I was getting into. The soundtrack work was very interesting, and their recent releases mapped out a compelling set of skills. But then I checked out Modwheel – which is their sample library company – and started to connect the dots: Really unique sound design and instrument design led to quirky soundtrack work, which led to crazy sample libraries, which leads to even more sound design work. An organic circle of life! Speaking with Steve Roche and David Donaldson open the door to understanding how Plan 9 got started, how they developed their interesting and unique sound (can you believe that The Flying Nun makes an appearance?), and how they create a creative working atmosphere that puts them in a position to constantly make great work. Their ‘systemic’ approach to building a work life is an inspiration, and has got me paying attention to these Wellington natives. Check out https://www.plan9.co.nz and https://www.modwheel.co.nz to see their work in action. Enjoy! Transcription available at http://www.darwingrosse.com/AMT/transcript-0369.html Exclusive extra content on the Patron page: https://www.patreon.com/darwingrosse

One of the big surprises of the late 2010’s was the acquisition of Buchla and Associates by someone local to me: Eric Fox of Foxtone Music. I’d heard of Foxtone, but never visited, and never expected something like this to happen in good ‘ol Minneapolis. But sure enough, Buchla was now based out of the Twin Cities. While I’m not a Buchla user, I’ve always been fascinated by Don Buchla’s work, and I was interested in this new iteration of Buchla – especially given the recent announcement of the official Tiptop 200-series modules, along with the revamp of the Easel that was shown at Superbooth. There was no time like now to reach out to Eric for a chat. Our discussion is pretty interesting: from his start as a punk guitarist, to his entre into music retailing, and finally landing on synthesizers as his ticket, Eric hasn’t ever taken the easy road. But through perseverance, and a willingness to be “that irritating guy”, he has created a place – not only in music retailing, but in synthesizer history. See what Eric is up to by checking out the Buchla website: https://buchla.com/ Enjoy! Transcription available at http://www.darwingrosse.com/AMT/transcript-0368.html Exclusive extra content on the Patron page: https://www.patreon.com/darwingrosse

Well, we welcome Mike Metlay back to the podcast. It’s been a while, and a lot has changed for Mike since our last discussion (episode 69!), and we find him in his new venture: as the editor-in-chief at Bjooks. If you are paying any attention to the world of electronic music, you’ll know that Bjooks just released a new book, entitled Synth Gems 1. Mike had a big hand in this release, and we quiz him about it in this interview. During our chat, we learn about the Bjooks publishing process, how they came up with the idea for this book, and how it was executed. This is a surprisingly complex thing, since their goal was to emphasize the beauty of synths, so it required top-notch images as well as noteworthy text. The story behind this (and the people that helped create it) is fascinating. Take a ride with us to learn more about the creation of the Bjook book, and learn more about it at https://bjooks.com/. Enjoy! Transcription available at http://www.darwingrosse.com/AMT/transcript-0367.html Exclusive extra content on the Patron page: https://www.patreon.com/darwingrosse

Paula Maddox is a wonder. She’s got an amazing history of synth design, and the work continues; her current company (Dove Audio - https://dove-audio.com/) produces modules in Euro and 5U format, featuring her unique take on wavetables-as-oscillators. We share a passion for wavetables and single-cycle waveshapes, so it was a natural that we talk. In our discussion, we cover everything from her history in electronics, the path to synth design, and a review of many of the synths that she has had her hand into. From the infamous Monowave, through the Modal 008, 002 and 001, and into the work developing the Dove Audio products (including some exciting new designs), we get a chance to hear how it comes together and where it is going in the future. Enjoy! Transcription available at http://www.darwingrosse.com/AMT/transcript-0366.html Exclusive extra content on the Patron page: https://www.patreon.com/darwingrosse

Mark Fell is one of my favorite artists – his work is the right mix of comfortable and challenging, and his music is truly as good as his ideas about music! As a result, I end up listening to a lot of his work, from the SND material released by Mille Plateaux to his recent experiments with live musicians. I’ve also had the chance to speak with – and interview – him in the past (for Cycling ’74), so there was already a comfort level there between us. So that should have made for a good conversation… … and it did. We ranged around the idea-space, talking about his history, his latest work, how he gets along with collaboration and how he thinks about time and complexity. We also get some insights into his overall aesthetic (something that is very important to him), and how that affects his composing/arranging practice. Very interesting, and wonderfully insightful. Enjoy the podcast, and learn more about Mark’s work on his personal website: http://www.markfell.com/wiki/ . Transcription available at http://www.darwingrosse.com/AMT/transcript-0365.html Exclusive extra content on the Patron page: https://www.patreon.com/darwingrosse

Carl Stone has been a huge influence on me – his work transported me from “Interested in that music tech stuff for making pop tunes” to “Let’s get serious!” His exploration into the nature of sampled sounds – and sampled/mashed/twisted tracks – took some of the ideas explored by Schaeffer, Cage, Reich and others, and gave them a whole new context. His recordings blew my head open, and continues to do so today. Some time ago I connected with Carl via Facebook, and finally screwed up the courage to ask for an interview. He was into it, and we had a great talk, covering everything from his various touring systems, to his love of Japan, to his seeming obsession with food and restaurants. Throughout all of it, you get a glimpse of the man – and the artist – that continues to push the envelope of sonic exploration. Much of Carl’s older work has been reissued, and is available both in physical form as well as streaming. If you haven’t yet dug into Carl Stone’s work – get on it! A good starting point is his website: https://www.rlsto.net/Nooz/ Transcription available at http://www.darwingrosse.com/AMT/transcript-0364.html Exclusive extra content on the Patron page: https://www.patreon.com/darwingrosse

Jeff Rona has fascinated me ever since he first appeared in Keyboard Magazine with his “The Reel World” column. It was a time when music-for-film was becoming interesting for tech-savvy musicians, and his writing fueled a lot of people’s interest in that work. With a background that includes working with Mark Isham and Hans Zimmer, Jeff has been in the mix for some of the greatest soundtracks in the last quarter century. In our discussion, we review his background in school (with The Dartmouth System!), programming time with Roland, playing with Jon Hassell, working with some amazing producers and then moving into film music. We also get into some of his techniques, how he likes to use particular kinds of hardware, and how he puts together the palette for a film score. We also talk about his solo work (as well as an upcoming release), and learn a bit about what he is doing in games and TV. We are also very excited about a third edition of The Reel World (the book) which he is wrapping up for upcoming release. You can learn about all of this, and more, at his website: https://jeffrona.com You can also see all of the soundtracks that he’s been credited for on his IMDB page: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0006258/. Sheesh, what a list! Enjoy! Transcription available at http://www.darwingrosse.com/AMT/transcript-0363.html Exclusive extra content on the Patron page: https://www.patreon.com/darwingrosse

Will Kuhn is well-known in the Ableton Live community. He pioneered the use of Ableton in the K-12 classroom, and recently released a new book: Electronic Music School: A Contemporary Approach to Teaching Musical Creativity. I was happy to corner him recently, and we had a great chat about his background, how he approaches teaching, and how he developed the system described in the book. We also dive into some ‘hot takes’ from the book, which adds a little flavor to this important text. But perhaps the most interesting part of our discussion was his description of creating the program, and writing the book, and figuring out how to make music instruction both interesting and educational. He also reveals how he is able to teach outside of the pure “music education” stream, opening up an Electronic Music program as an elective for the general population. You can learn more about Will’s work at his website (https://willkuhn.com/), and see plenty of videos where he’s presented his work (including at the Berlin Ableton Loop). He is also involved in the TI:ME (Technology In Music Education), which you can read about here: https://ti-me.org/ Enjoy! Transcription available at http://www.darwingrosse.com/AMT/transcript-0362.html Exclusive extra content on the Patron page: https://www.patreon.com/darwingrosse