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Electronic Music

Sound On Sound

Welcome to the Sound On Sound Electronic Music podcast. On this channel we feature some of the pioneers of the industry, interview musicians and talk about retro and current gear. More information and content can be found at https://www.soundonsound.com/podcasts | Facebook, Twitter and Instagram - @soundonsoundmag | YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/user/soundonsoundvideo

50 - Drum Machine History
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  • 50 - Drum Machine History

    The drum machine has progressed massively since the days of the home organ player. Here Oli Freke takes us through a brief history with lots of audio examples, highlighting the most iconic models to have been released during the last 40 years and the part that they have played in shaping musical trends.

    Chapters
    00:00 - Introduction
    00:51 - Early Rhythm Machines
    02:57 - The First Korg Rhythm Machine
    04:03 - The Invention Of The Transistor
    08:02 - Solid State Rhythm Machines
    13:48 - Using Drum Machines In Mainstream Hits
    17:05 - The First Programmable Drum Machines
    21:59 - The Introduction Of Drum Pads And Brains
    25:27 - The Arrival Of Digital Samples And The Linn Drum
    30:59 - The Era Of Sampling Drum Machines
    37:11 - The Impact Of The Roland TR-808 and TR-909
    42:54 - Other Notable 80s Drum Machines
    44:41 - The Introduction of MIDI
    46:51 - Standardised Layouts And Spec
    50:12 - Analogue Circuit Modelling And Software
    53:45 - Back To Hardware With Eurorack Modular
    54:52 - Drum Pattern Generation With AI

    Oli Freke Biog
    Oli Freke is a London based musician, artist and author who has had a life-long passion for electronic instruments, synthesizers and electronic music. Currently working for the BBC, he has previously enjoyed success with electro band Cassette Electrik supporting the Human League on tour, written music for television and produced dance music since the 1990s.

    His Synth Evolution range of posters, celebrating the synthesizer and electronic music culture, launched in 2017 and led to the definitive, hand-illustrated book, ‘Synth Evolution: From Analogue to Digital (and Back)’, featuring every commercial synth of the 20th century.

    www.synthevolution.net
    www.linktr.ee/olifreke

    CREDITS

    1. Chamberlin Rhythmate - audio.com (@Drum Machine)
    2. Wurlitzer Sideman - Internet Archive (archive.com)
    3. Korg Doncamatic - Korg (Germany)
    4. Korg Minipops 3 - Corsynth Modular (Corsynth.com)
    5. Ace Tone F-1 - @YouAreTheRobots
    6. Roland TR-77 - @vintageaudioinstitute
    7. Mattel Bee Gees Rhythm Machine - Thomas P. Heckmann (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jn8mxHfY4vM&t=4s)
    8. Maestro MRK-2 - @organ61 
    9. Korg KR-55 - Steve Porter (synthmagic.co.uk)
    10. Roland CR-78 - AnalogAudio (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r0CHoU24Dis&t=129s)
    11. Eko CompuRhythm - Hainbach (https://www.youtube.com/@Hainbach)
    12. Paia Programmable Drumset - Thomas P. Heckmann (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T2afPnOpv4U)
    13. Boss DR-55 - Leonard de Leonard (https://www.sound-provider.eu/)
    14. Movement Computer System - @Theccrstudio
    15. Pollard Syndrum - recording: Joe Bataan, ‘Rap-O, Clap-O’
    16. Simmons SDS-V - Alain Levesque
    17. Linn LM-1 - John Diligio (@javd007)
    18. LinnDrum - @zibbybone
    19. Sequential Circuits DrumTraks - AnalogAudio (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OxhRyEEZCYA)
    20. E-Mu Drumulator - @synthmania
    21. E-MU SP-12 - AnalogAudio (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rDpvKBoJjug&t=287s)
    22. Oberheim DMX - @synthmania
    23. Roland TR-909 - @DoctorMix
    24. Roland 707 - AnalogAudio (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0eRhSRHFkMA)
    25. Yamaha RX-11, Casio RZ-1 - @synthmania

    Thu, 25 Apr 2024
  • 49 - Ryuichi Sakamoto - A Tribute

    As a tribute to Ryuichi Sakamoto on the first anniversary of his passing, Caro C talks to Richard Barbieri, Natalie Beridze and Carsten Nicolai, aka Alva Noto, three musicians who were fortunate enough to collaborate with him. Here, they share some insights into his mindset and methodologies.

    Chapters
    00:00 - Introduction
    01:44 - Richard Barbieri
    09:04 - Natalie Beridze
    19:45 - Carsten Nicolai / Alva Noto

    Ryuichi Sakamoto Biog
    Ryuichi Sakamoto was a multi award-winning keyboardist, songwriter, composer and producer who along with Haruomi Hosono and Yukihiro Takahashi, became pioneers of the electronic music genre in Honsono's band Yellow Magic Orchestra.

    Prior to his success with the band, Sakamoto earned a B.A. in music composition and worked as a session musician and producer. Alongside his success with the band, he continued his solo work, releasing solo albums and collaborations, experimenting with various genres and fusing traditional with electronic. This work led to him scoring more than 30 films throughout his career, his most famous being Merry Christmas, Mr Lawrence and The Last Emperor. In his later career he composed a multimedia opera, sampled a glass building for use in one of his works and traveled to the Arctic to record the sound of melting snow.

    Richard Barbieri Biog
    Hailing from London, Richard joined the British band Japan in 1975 and saw huge success around the world until they split in 1982. He continued to work with David Sylvian, as well as Sylvian’s brother, Steve Jansen on separate projects. He reunited with Sylvian, Jansen and bass player Mick Karn for the Rain Tree Crow project and continued to play with Steve & Mick as part of ‘JBK’. In the early 1990s, the three of them teamed up with Tim Bowness and Steven Wilson as part of No-Man and it was here that Barbieri and Wilson would begin their long musical association. Porcupine Tree had initially been a Wilson solo project but he recruited Richard in 1993 and over the next 17 years, became one of the shining lights of the neo-prog / pop scene, embracing a more heavy style as the years went on. Reuniting in 2021, they released the first Porcupine Tree album in 12 years with 2022’s ‘Closure/ Continuation’, a critically acclaimed return to form. Richard has a large body of solo work which he started to release in 2005 and still does to this day.

    http://www.richardbarbieri.co.uk/

    Natalie Beridze Biog
    Natalie Beridze is a Georgian music composer and songwriter. Since 2003 Natalie has been performing live concerts worldwide, and has been known as the first female electronic music artist from Georgia. From 2002-2008 she lived in Cologne and produced music under the artist name TBA. She’s released music in Europe on Max.E, Monika Enterprise, CMYK, Laboratory Instinct, CES Records DADO records, Apollo Records Chainmusic, CES Records and ROOM40.

    In addition to her solo projects, Beridze has collaborated with artists such as Thomas Brinkmann, AGF (Antye Greie), Gudrun Gut, Joerg Follert, Marcus Schmickler, Nika Machaidze aka Nikakoi, Ryuichi Sakamoto, Gacha Bakradze, Alex Kordzaia, Annika Henderson, Antye Greie-Fuchs, Barbara Morgenstern, Beate Bartel, Danielle De Picciotto, Gudrun Bredemann, Lucrecia Dalt, Merja Kokkonen, Mommo G, Natalie Beridze, Pilocka Krach, Sonae. Beridze’s music is part of Adam Curtis’s recent BBC Documentary series “Can’t get you out of my head”. She also creates works for piano, orchestra and choir, which have been performed by a number of artists and the Tbilisi state opera orchestra. Her recent compositions for piano, keyboard, soprano and tape are part of the ongoing program of Zurich based Kiosk
    Ensemble.

    Beridze, alongside Nika Machaidze teaches songwriting and music production at CES (creative education studio).

    https://natalieberidzetba.bandcamp.com/

    Carsten Nicolai / Alva Noto Biog

    Under the pseudonym Alva Noto, Carsten Nicolai is one of the best-known representatives of contemporary electronic music. Concerts have taken him to the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, the Centre Pompidou in Paris, and the Tate Modern in London. His various musical projects include collaborations with Ryōji Ikeda, Mika Vainio, Iggy Pop, Blixa Bargeld and Ryūichi Sakamoto. With the latter, Nicolai composed the score for Alejandro González Iñárritu's Oscar-winning film The Revenant, which was nominated for a Golden Globe, a BAFTA, a Critics Choice Award and a Grammy.

    https://alvanoto.com/


    Caro C Biog
    Caro C is an artist, engineer and teacher specialising in electronic music. Her self-produced fourth album 'Electric Mountain' is out now. Described as a "one-woman electronic avalanche" (BBC), Caro started making music thanks to being laid up whilst living in a double decker bus and listening to the likes of Warp Records in the late 1990's. This 'sonic enchantress' (BBC Radio 3) has now played in most of the cultural hotspots of her current hometown of Manchester, UK. Caro is also the instigator and project manager of electronic music charity Delia Derbyshire Day.

    URL:http://carocsound.com/

    Twitter:@carocsound
    Inst:
    @carocsound

    FB:https://www.facebook.com/carocsound/

    Thu, 28 Mar 2024
  • 48 - Afrodeutsche

    Henrietta Smith-Rolla, known professionally as Afrodeutsche, gives Caro C insights into her musical journey, from her introduction to the music industry in Manchester, finding her sound, getting signed to Skam Records and becoming a BBC 6 Music DJ with a prime-time Friday evening slot.

    Chapters
    00:00 - Introduction
    01:22 - BBC 6 Music
    04:05 - Becoming A Musician
    06:40 - Getting Signed To Skam
    10:11 - Equipment Used On Debut Album
    13:59 - Using Synth Pads
    16:19 - More Recent Projects
    18:19 - Creating Sample Packs For Spitfire
    20:11 - Working With The Kyma
    27:09 - Being Productive
    32:30 - Balancing Different Projects

    Afrodeutsche Biog
    AFRODEUTSCHE (Henrietta Smith-Rolla), is a British born Ghanaian/Russian/German artist, composer, producer, and DJ based in Manchester, UK. Her polyrhythmic compositions integrate a wide array of musical genres, including Afrofuturistic electro and techno, classical solo piano and Detroit legacy house; all memorable journeys into deep, abstracted sound.

    Praised by the Guardian for enacting a new wave of club music, named by Dummy Mag as one of 2019’s most exciting artists, Afrodeutsche’s spectacular debut album ‘Break Before Make’ was released on the legendary Skam label in 2018, followed in 2019 with the debut release on Eclair Fifi’s label River Rapid and a much praised remixes for artists as diverse as Marie Davidson (Ninja Tune), Joep Beving (Deutsche Grammophon) and Nathan Fake (Cambria Instruments).

    AFRODEUTSCHE has written and performed scores for films and documentaries including the BAFTA nominated ‘Kamali’ about a young girl skateboarder in India, and a live re-score of renowned Earth documentary ‘Baraka’ at The Royal Northern College of Music.

    The soundtrack for ‘Kamali’ was released by SA Recordings in September 2020, alongside a sample library for Spitfire. The audio library illuminates much of Henrietta’s writing process as a self-taught musician and composer. Inspired by her work with the Kyma sound design environment, it’s a set of tools for composition based around colour. Her aim is to offer a new perspective and a sense of freedom for those delving into the library, no matter their level of experience.

    In the summer of 2022 she scored Bottega Veneta’s SS2023 collection runway show, during Milan Fashion Week working, closely with head designer Matthieu Blazy throughout the process.

    In 2023 she premiered a new string ensemble commission for MIF at the prestigious new Factory International venue. Henrietta lent her own vocals and piano playing alongside a sting ensemble from the Manchester Camerata, arranged and conducted by Robert Ames.

    After years hosting a regular radio show ‘Black Forest’ on the renowned NTS, AFRODEUTSCHE now leads BBC 6 Music’s Friday night schedule with the Peoples Party, a peak time show that entrances listeners with her idiosyncratic combinations of crate dug party tunes from any point in the last 50 years, acid, rave, electro, breaks, footwork, ghetto tech and jacking house. In 2022 she has regularly presented BBC 6 Music live coverage of festivals at Glastonbury and Cardiff. At the end of the summer she curated the 6 Music stage for London festival ‘All Points East’. 

    Her DJ style is a synthesis of Drexciyan and Underground Resistance-inspired selections, intercut with a variety of forward thinking UK techno such as Bola and Lego Feet. Forever evolving a fully live hardware show, AFRODEUTSCHE debuted it at the opening of CTM Festival at Berghain in February 2020, integrating classical piano and hardware along with visuals. 


    https://linktr.ee/afrodeutsche


    Caro C Biog
    Caro C is an artist, engineer and teacher specialising in electronic music. Her self-produced fourth album 'Electric Mountain' is out now. Described as a "one-woman electronic avalanche" (BBC), Caro started making music thanks to being laid up whilst living in a double decker bus and listening to the likes of Warp Records in the late 1990's. This 'sonic enchantress' (BBC Radio 3) has now played in most of the cultural hotspots of her current hometown of Manchester, UK. Caro is also the instigator and project manager of electronic music charity Delia Derbyshire Day.

    URL:http://carocsound.com/

    Twitter:@carocsound
    Inst:
    @carocsound

    FB:https://www.facebook.com/carocsound/

    Thu, 29 Feb 2024
  • 47 - Landscape A Go-Go

    Richard James Burgess is a man who wears many hats. In a career that spans over five decades, Richard was first and foremost a drummer. In the 1970s, he became a part of the London music scene as a session drummer, as well as with the ground- breaking band Landscape. 


    Richard combined his passion for music, drumming and electronics when he worked closely with Dave Simmons on the Simmons SDS-V drum kit. After Landscape dissolved, he began to work more behind the desk, being one of the first to own a Fairlight CMI in the U.K. He would go on to work with the likes of Kate Bush, Spandau Ballet, Visage and Colonel Abrams. 
     
    The 1990s saw Burgess re-enter the world of academia and he would go on to write some of the most comprehensive guides on music production. Recently, Landscape released ‘Landscape A Go-Go’, a comprehensive 5 CD anthology of their work covering their entire recorded output between 1977 and 1983. 


    Richard recently chatted to Rob from his New York apartment, where he talked about his journey with electronic music and his future plans as an author, musician and producer.

    Chapters
    00:00 - Introduction
    01:49 - Looking Back On Working With Landscape
    04:43 - Using New Technology Live On Stage
    06:19 - Starting The Journey With Music Technology
    08:00 - The Threat Of Electronic Drums And Drum Machines
    10:37 - Working With JJ Jeczalik
    12:25 - Involvement With The Simmons SDS V
    16:47 - Modern Electronic Drums
    18:03 - Using Drum Sample Libraries
    22:19 - The Fairlight CMI
    29:00 - The Introduction Of Page R
    32:23 - The Move Into Production
    37:51 - The New Romantics
    39:43 - Working With A Variety Of Artists
    42:07 - Richard Burgess The Author
    46:39 - A.I. In Music
    50:20 - Compensating Musicians For Their Work
    53:51 - Current Projects
    55:24 - A Landscape Reunion?


    Richard James Burgess Biog
    Born in London, Burgess’ family emigrated to New Zealand in 1958 when Richard was aged 10. He studied at both Berklee and London’s Guildhall before forming Landscape. His musical career included being a session drummer, producer engineer and inventor.

    Burgess re-entered academia where he both lectured and advised on music production and the music business in both the U.K. and the United States. His books, ‘The Art of Music Production’ and ‘The History of Music Production’ are considered essential reading for anyone in the industry.

    Richard remains entrenched in the music business to this day, chairing the American Association of Independent Music, having also served on the boards of the National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences and the Smithsonian Music Committee.


    https://landscape.band/

    Rob Puricelli Biog
    Rob Puricelli is a Music Technologist and Instructional Designer who has a healthy obsession with classic synthesizers and their history. In conjunction with former Fairlight Studio Manager, Peter Wielk, he fixes and restores Fairlight CMI’s so that they can enjoy prolonged and productive lives with new owners. He also writes reviews and articles for Sound On Sound, his website Failed Muso, and other music-related publications, as well as hosting a weekly livestream on YouTube for the Pro Synth Network and guesting on numerous music technology podcasts and shows. He also works alongside a number of manufacturers, demonstrating their products and lecturing at various educational and vocational establishments about music technology.


    www.failedmuso.com
    Twitter:
    @failedmuso
    Instagram:
    @failedmuso
    Facebook:
    https://www.facebook.com/failedmuso/ 

    Thu, 25 Jan 2024
  • 46 - Yamaha DX7: The Birth Of FM Synthesis

    In May of 1983, the world of synthesizers and electronic music as we knew it would change forever with the launch of the Yamaha DX7. To celebrate 40 years since its launch, Rob Puricelli spoke to Dr John Chowning, the developer of FM synthesis, Dave Bristow and Gary Leuenberger, sound designers for the original DX7 and Manny Fernandez, who has worked on all Yamaha’s FM projects from the Mk.II DX7 through to today’s Montage M series.

    See the Show Notes for further details.

    Chapters
    00:00 - Introduction
    01:55 - First Experiences Of The DX7
    12:49 - Did The DX7 Meet Expectations?
    16:57 - The Feedback Loop
    17:51 - Creating And Sharing Sounds
    22:47 - A Career From Creating Patches
    27:55 - Sound Design Using FM
    31:36 - Hearing Your Own Sounds
    34:26 - Working With Don Lewis
    44:26 - Demonstrating The DX7
    57:00 - FM Synthesis 40 Years On
    01:07:12 - Formant Shaping And The Future Of FM

    Dr John Chowning Biog
    Born in Salem, New Jersey in 1934, John Chowning spent his school years in Wilmington, Delaware. Following military service and four years at Wittenberg University in Ohio, he studied composition in Paris with Nadia Boulanger. He received a doctorate in composition (DMA) from Stanford University in 1966, where he studied with Leland Smith. 


    Chowning discovered the frequency modulation synthesis (FM) algorithm in 1967. This breakthrough in the synthesis of timbres allowed a very simple yet elegant way of creating and controlling time-varying spectra. In 1973 Stanford University licensed the FM synthesis patent to Yamaha in Japan, leading to the most successful synthesis engine in the history of electronic musical instruments.

    He taught computer sound synthesis and composition at Stanford University's Department of Music. In 1974, with John Grey, James (Andy) Moorer, Loren Rush and Leland Smith, he founded the Center for Computer Research in Music and Acoustics (CCRMA), which remains one of the leading centres for computer music and related research. Although he retired in 1996, he has remained in contact with CCRMA activities.


    Chowning was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 1988 and awarded the Honorary Doctor of Music by Wittenberg University in 1990. The French Ministre de la Culture awarded him the Diplôme d’Officier dans l’Ordre des Arts et Lettres in 1995. He was given the Doctorat Honoris Causa in 2002 by the Université de la Méditerranée, by Queen’s University in 2010, Hamburg University in 2016, and Laureate of the Giga-Hertz-Award in 2013.

    Dave Bristow Biog
    Dave was born in London and worked as a professional keyboard player recording and touring internationally with a variety of artists including Polyphony, Slender Loris, June Tabor, Tallis and 2nd Vision. Active in synthesizer development, he played a central role in voicing the Yamaha DX7 synthesizer and is internationally recognized as one of the important contributors to the development and voicing of FM synthesis, co-authoring a textbook on the subject with Dr John Chowning.

    He spent three years at IRCAM in Paris, running a MIDI and synthesis studio working with contemporary music composers and artists, then moving to the United States in the 1990’s to work for Emu Systems, Inc. on sampling and filter-based synthesizers. In 2002, he began working again with Yamaha developing ringtones and system alert sounds for the SMAF audio chip series used in cell phones and mobile devices.

    He has been an instructor at Shoreline Community College teaching electronic music production and synthesis for ten years, but still finds plenty of time for composing and playing piano with RedShift jazz quartet and developing his interest in computer arts.

    Gary Leuenberger Biog
    Gary started in music at a young age and, in 1975, founded G. Leuenberger & Co. in San Francisco. It soon became one of the world’s largest retailers of pianos, synthesizers and electronic keyboards. In 1980 he started working with Yamaha as part of their product development team. It was through this that he was recruited, along with the likes of Dave Bristow and Don Lewis, to create the factory presets for the DX7. 


    Gary’s most famous, or infamous, patch was the legendary E.Piano 1 which became equally one of the most popular and despised sounds ever! Nevertheless, his association with Yamaha continued until 2000, at which point Gary went back into education, gaining his Bachelors of Music and Masters in Classical Piano Performance from San Francisco State University in 2007.


    Since then, he has taught electronic music at SFSU and gives private tutoring to budding musicians of all ages. 


    Manny Fernandez Biog
    Dr. Manny Fernandez has been involved in synthesizer programming and development with many manufacturers for over 35 years. Initially self-taught prior to traditional university study of analogue synthesis, in the late 1970’s - early 1980’s the emerging digital synthesis techniques caught his attention with their expanded timbral possibilities.

    He acquired a DX7 in the fall of 1983 and using Dr. Chowning’s original academic articles as a guide began exploring FM synthesis in depth. In 1987 he began his relationship with Yamaha, programming for a wide range of their synthesizers through the years to the current Montage M. Acknowledged as one of the world’s foremost FM synthesists and having extensive experience with physical modelling synthesis as well, his programming approach is to create unique and dynamic timbres with interesting yet useful real-time controller implementations.


    Rob Puricelli Biog
    Rob Puricelli is a Music Technologist and Instructional Designer who has a healthy obsession with classic synthesizers and their history. In conjunction with former Fairlight Studio Manager, Peter Wielk, he fixes and restores Fairlight CMI’s so that they can enjoy prolonged and productive lives with new owners. He also writes reviews and articles for Sound On Sound, his website Failed Muso, and other music-related publications, as well as hosting a weekly livestream on YouTube for the Pro Synth Network and guesting on numerous music technology podcasts and shows. He also works alongside a number of manufacturers, demonstrating their products and lecturing at various educational and vocational establishments about music technology.


    www.failedmuso.com
    Twitter:
    @failedmuso
    Instagram:
    @failedmuso
    Facebook:
    https://www.facebook.com/failedmuso/ 

    Wed, 20 Dec 2023
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