vicmod
Homepage: http://www.vicmod.net/
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All titles written and produced by Steve Law.
1. recorded 2009. 2. recorded 2000, 3. & 4. recorded 2008.
Instruments: Korg MS-20, Roland System 100M, Roland SH-101,
Arp 2600, EMS VCS3, Kurzweil K2500, Field Recordings, Voice.
Tracks
1. Bummer Interlock 07:39
2. Insanity Threshold 16:50
3. The Death of Light 19:37
4. Time Dilation 21:50
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The locations included train stations in Berlin and Brussels. Gaming rooms in London. CN tower and shopping mall in Toronto.
Hours were spent just walking around with headphones listening for what each city would emit, randomly stumbling across an edifice or another installation of machines saturating the environment with electromagnetic activity .
Sometimes I tried to explain to security that I was only recording the electromagnetic waves of the machines and not any sound associated with
the user interface which breached their so called intellectual copyright sanctions.
I’m sure the engineers of the machines never thought to copyright the electromagnetic wave emissions.
By the time I got to the CN tower in Toronto I had mastered the art of getting enough recorded material before being ejected by security.
London was the most difficult place to record material, usually a minute or two would be my longest take.
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The pieces on “The Wave-Sounding Sea” were all recorded in the State University of New York at Albany’s Electronic Music Studio in 1973 and 1974, using the Moog CEMS (Coordinated Electronic Music Studio) System developed by my composition teacher Joel Chadabe. Joel worked closely with Bob Moog in developing the CEMS, and Moog developed many custom modules for the system, which at the time may have been the largest integrated Moog synthesizer in the world.
The CEMS System contained an extended array of sound generating and processing modules as well as a unique programming system consisting of an automated matrix mixer, a digital master clock, and a bank of eight analog sequencers with customized logic hardware for running them together, independently, in succession, or in any combination of those modes.
“The Wave-Sounding Sea” and “Iron Hill” were both recorded by multi-tracking multiple passes of the CEMS output to 4-track Scully tape decks, which I then mixed down to stereo. The Wave-Sounding Sea” was the last composition in my older Morton Subotnick-influenced style; “Iron Hill” was my first work using my One Sound concept.
“The FM Automat” is a realtime recording of the CEMS System controlled by Daisy, an analog computer designed and built by John Roy that generated pseudo-random control voltages. “FM Automat” is a study in creating a system to generate as many different sounds as possible in realtime from a single frequency modulation patch.
“Snow”, another One Sound work, was my first composition that used a computer in any way, and is another realtime recording. The studio acquired a DEC PDP-11 computer during my last year at the University, and I used it to write a simple program that would output random clicks through the computer’s digital-to-analog convertors. I then processed that output through the CEMS System’s filters and gates to create the final sound.
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This was originally recorded after the release of Cray’s Undo album released on Bip Hop, France in 2001. Another full album sitting
rediscovered on an old hard drive laying about the house gathering dust for 8 years, Water Computing sees Cray (Ross Healy) trying to convince computers to talk, emotion from bytes.
This album takes you to a Blade Runner street setting where all humans have vanished and the machines /robotic life, nano computers have
memories of the time when humans ruled the world.
CRAY is Ross Healy (composer/sound designer/ record label owner). Ross has been heavily involved in the electronic scene since the early 90′s. Releasing recordings for labels in Australia, Germany, France, United Kingdom, Ireland and the U.S under many different names (This Digital Ocean, Horaku, Amnesia, Siko Spunji, 56k and Cray) covering many styles of electronic music, Avant improv electronics, Experimental computer music, Noise, Industrial, Techno, Ambient, IDM and
Drum n Bass. Ross seems to be settled nowdays in the improv / experimental field.
As well as his lust for electronic music making, Ross has also co-run Global Warming (popular club
in the late 90′s), written for Digital magazine, Remixed (Demixed) artists work, designed web
page sounds, had his music used in TV shows and commercials and has performed live around the globe.
Ross is also the founding member of VICMOD. VICMOD teaches people how to build (solder electronics)modular synthesizers.
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Sound source EMS Synthi A MK1.
These are pieces made by configuring the instrument to operate on its own.
Once an interesting and satisfying pattern emerges and is identified, it is recorded, unmodified, to Protools.
I believe limiting the elements allows the work to exist uncontaminated, revealing the sonically rich and organic nature of the Synthi itself.
The compositional process is more similar to photography, it more about discovery than creation.
Don Hassler, Atlanta, Georgia.
Born 1960 Ohio, USA
30 years of abstract electronic music and sound art.
Performed in free improvisation group Accidents Of Culture in the early 80′s.
Created site specific sound sculptures.
Helped develop and taught experimental sound class at now defunct Atlanta College of Art.
Currently working with Jason Butcher
Acquired Synthi used in this recording in 1980.
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