BeepGlitch

New blog online

2009-08-03T18:38:00.005+01:00

Some things just takes time, this is certainly one of that cases

I try ed to put the website up, but unfortunately i have limited resources in the php and web development and also limited time, so i try ed my best but was enought. I came up with some other resolution because we were getting tons of traffic in the old blog, so i decided the wordpress solution.

New layout and a bunch of new things including interviews and a small store for some electronic devices, also for those who are interested in circuit bending d.i.y etc in Lisbon area there’s a new space its called Alt/Lab and its open to new people and new ideas.

For now thats it hope you all enjoy the new blog.

Here is the new adress http://beepglitch.wordpress.com/

No news post until new site is on air

2008-09-22T16:15:00.002+01:00

Hi all
We are currently in a process of porting this blog to a new and improved website.
This is taking a long time because its only me thats is doing all the work.
I apologise for that and in October the new site should be up and running, but until then theres should be no new posts, this process takes all my time (and im working faster i can to do this update, but this alsos messes with PHP and its so confusing ..:) )
So back to work

Tom bugs interview

2008-07-27T15:42:00.003+01:00

After the workshop in lisbon were we produced This (we put together), i thought it was a good idea to publish an interview in this blog from Tom Bugs from Bugbrand, after a couple emails ,here it is.

Tom, you have been working for a long time in music and producing your own instruments.
In your opinion whats the importance of diy electronics in contemporary music ?

The Inspiration - music is by no means a science. Inspiration comes in many forms and from many angles. A major aim for my own productions has been to make devices that will surprise you with new ideas - both in terms of sounds and also in interface, how you play the instrument.
The Process - the world moves quickly, there is a culture of throwaway or more-more-more. By making something yourself you take the time to sink yourself in to the process. By using hardware rather than software you have a fixed system that you can learn and come back to again and again. One of the problems I have with computer music today is that there is often *too many* possibilities - the controls of your instrument keep on shifting, so it is hard to learn that instrument.

Also have you feeling that homemade instruments and circuit bending are bringing more people to the electronic music scene?

Maybe! The synth DIY arena is very active today, though its still very niche too - definitely not for everyone. Circuit bending is certainly a great leveler - anyone can get involved very easily. The internet is probably the single most important factor in nurturing this as it presents so much information and sharing possibilities.

In your workshop in lisbon i saw that most people didn't have electronic knowledge, and they don´t feel threaten by it.
What your opinion on that ?

Hehe, well, the design we made in the workshop was very much designed so that it could easily be put together by anyone, even without experience in electronics. As I say at the beginning of such workshops, electronics can be a darn confusing when starting out (and beyond too) - people get put off if their first attempts at electronics don't work, so it is good to make a complete project which you can be pretty certain will work first time. That hopefully gives a good feeling for carrying on to other projects!
There is so much info about on the net for beginning electronics, but it can be very hard to see the wood for the trees - there is a lot of different things to try to get your head around, so doing a complete project kit is a good way to be introduced.

Like i said in the beginning this is a small interview, so do you have any last words for all the enthusiasts out there ?

Well, going back to the first question, I should say that I've actually only been doing electronics for about 5 years (oh, and also that it has pretty much crushed my more musical / recording output too!).
I've had virtually no 'proper' training - I've just learned by trying things out lots and lots, with info from the net and from books.
If you want to, jump on in!

Thanks for the kind words hope to see you soon here in lisbon again.

Bugbrand

Adachi Tomomi

2008-06-29T15:45:00.003+01:00

This is one of that rare finds in the net when beautiful instruments become also beautiful music.
Adachi as some of the most simplicity objects and yet simply astonishing.
I guess circuit bending dyi is this the perfect combination between hardware and music.
"ADACHI Tomomi, born in Kanazawa, Japan in 1972, is performer, composer, sound poet, installation artist, occasional theater director. He studied philosophy and aesthetics at Waseda University in Tokyo. He has played improvised music with voice, live electronics and self-made instruments. He had composed works for his own group "Adachi Tomomi Royal Chorus" which is a punk-style choir. He has performed contemporary music: vocal and performance works by John Cage, Cornelius Cardew, Dieter Schnebel, Yuji Takahashi and Fluxus including world premier and Japan premier. He is the only performer of sound poetry in Japan and has performed Kurt Schwitters's "Ursonate" for the first time in Japan. He has made several sound installations and original instruments (e.g."Tomomin", his hand made electric instrument is familiar with many musicians). In the field of theater music, he has collaborated with some experimental theaters and dancers, especially he worked in duo group "VACA" with Un Yamada; contemporary dancer, from 2000. "VACA" was exploring new relationship between dance/dancer and music/musician. He also has organized many concerts which picks up experimental music, sound art, collaboration work and inter-disciplinary performance in Japan and Germany, include concerts for Chris Mann, Trevor Wishart, Nicolas Collins and STEIM in Japan. He has performed with numerous musicians including Jaap Blonk, Nicolas Collins, Carl Stone, SAKATA Akira, Erhart hirt, Butch Morris, Jon Rose, OTOMO Yoshihide in Japan, United States and Europe. He has presented his works in many kinds venues include IRCAM/Centre Pompidou, Waker Art Center and STEIM. As a critic, he has written some articles of visual art, music and performance art on papers and magazines. He had participated in the art theory bulletin "Method" 2000-2001. He started visual art (computer aided photograph, video and installation) in 2003. He directed Japanese premiere of John Cage's "Europera5" in 2007. Recently, he is focusing his activities on solo performance (with voice, sensors, computer, self-made instruments), sound poetry (especially to the unknown great Japanese sound poetry tradition), video installation and workshop style big ensemble with non-professional voice and instruments."

Adachi Tomomi

Machinecollective

2008-06-27T00:45:00.002+01:00

Im excited...are you ?
If not just see this.

"In spite of all the smart, multifunctional and state-of-the-art controllers that are commercially available today, there has always been demand for custom physical interfaces and specialized controllers. That's why we have developed a modular prototyping platform. The prototyping modules are aimed at researchers, artists, musicians, circuitbenders and performers who want to use high quality controls without spending too much time on manufacturing or trying to find a suitable enclosure.

Machinecollective understands your needs and we're here to help you out! We are working on a range of modules based on frequently used components, sensors and indicators. The prototyping modules are designed to work with development platforms such as Arduino and Wiring. The modules can also be used for other purposes such as circuitbending, DIY synths, analog sequencers or plain old electronics projects."

Machinecollective

Tom Bugs, Goodiepal

2008-06-24T16:16:00.002+01:00

This week i have been attending to a series of workshops in Lisbon made by "Um festival".
The first workshop was "building yourself a noize machine" and was presented by Tom Bugs from Bugbrand, that was simple, a kit, some soldering irons, lots of resistors and a whole lot more of capacitators, the end result ...Lots of ours of fun and a cool device with 3 oscillators.
When talking to Tom after the workshop we promised me a interview to be publish here soon.
Then came the Goodiepal workshop and the educational presentation of its book "Mort Aux Vaches Ekstra Extra"
There we talked about music desconstrution, the music tempo and the influence of it in modern music, also some quantum mechanics theories, goodiepal mechanical birds and ofcourse mickey mouse (that is a joke).
The overall result was positive but i think somethimes the crown lost a bit of perspective adressing goodiepal.
Ofcourse a interview will be posted soon here too.
Im really glad of attending this discussion about modern music and the new forms influences to it.

Goodiepal
Tom Bugs
Um festival

Cellular Recombomat

2008-06-11T23:40:00.003+01:00

Sascha as alerted me about this cellular automata based synth, stuff, whatever i must say something, after viewing the videos and see what this baby can do ...i want one (first the klee sequencer, then Seq v3 "midibox" then this one) ah ah ah i have so much work to do..
"My main idea with this gadget was to have optical control over the three main basic cellular automata (CA) controls (which are controlled by the pots on the right side, from the top): algorithm (the algorithm used to generate the type of cell which also controls what tone is generated based on the object created), width across the grid, and speed of cellular generation, each line generated one at a time from top to bottom. I replaced the LEDs in the snake lites reaching in from behind with optical resistors and each equate to the three pot-based control parameters. Ultimately I wanted to have the optical resistors control the output to the video screen, thus creating a recombinant feedback control loop. I couldn't wait to see what that would look like! But, after casing up, only the algorithm optical control worked. Something inside must have gotten squished or shorted, which is not surprising considering the pile of spaghetti and circuit boards I had to shove into the tiny case (which, by the way, started its life as a VTECH LessonOne, a boring in itself educational toy but the perfect case for this gadget! And, a perfect fit for a 7" LCD monitor ripped from a "broken" portable DVD player.)"

Cellular Recombomat

Klee sequencer

2008-05-31T16:29:00.005+01:00

Q: What is a Klee Sequencer?

A: A Klee Sequencer is a compositional tool that perhaps could be thought of as an almagm of the concept behind (but not the implementation of) the Triadex Muse coupled to a step sequencer. Klee Sequencing relies upon the composer's innate ability to discern patterns of musical worth from a variety of rhythms and pitches produced through a method that is often impossible to predict through interaction with the controls. Often, through manipulation of a single control or switch, the Klee Sequencer can reveal a new direction or approach to an already established Klee Sequence.
And if you want to build one (good soldering knoledge, and a basic now how of circuit integration needed), here is something to start.

Klee sequencer explain
Klee sequencer build (parts and pcb)
Klee sequencer more info and parts

Peter Vogel

2008-05-31T16:08:00.006+01:00

Sascha as sent me an email about the wonderfull work of Peter vogel.
"Peter Vogel is a pioneer in the field of interactive electronic sculpture. He was formally trained in physics, and has explored technology's intersection with dance, musical composition, and visual art since the late 1960s. Vogel's interest lies in both interactive and musical structures. The interactive sensitivity of his constructions utilizes photocells and microphones that react to spectators, creating an experience of seeing and hearing unique improvisations triggered by light and shadow. Merging form and function, the delicate electronic circuits in Vogel’s artworks are elegantly arranged. A retrospective of his work will take place in 2007 at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Freiburg. His work has been collected by ZKM; the Museum of Concrete Art, Ingolstadt, Germany; Rijksmueum; Wakayama Museum of Modern Art,and Joshibi Art Museum in Japan. Vogel’s electronic sound sculptures have been exhibited at Ars Electronica, the Musée d'Art Contemporain in Lyon, Winnipeg Art Gallery in Canada, Ruhrland museum in Essen, the Goethe Institute in Uruguay, Berlin Academy of Arts, and numerous galleries throughout Germany. He has participated in various group shows including “Ecoute” at the Centre Pompidou in 2004. "
In Bitforms website you can see is work and also Golan levin, wich i post here in january.

Bitforms
Video

Urgent: Stein in trouble and needs your help

2008-05-31T15:46:00.004+01:00

The inventors of Cracklebox are in trouble.
"Things are not well at STEIM. We are in the danger of losing our structural funding from the government, based on a review from the advisor board which called us 'closed and only appealing to a niche audience'. The outlook isn't exactly bleak, but at the moment our future is unclear."
Please take a moment and fill out the form to write a letter to the Dutch government.

Email form
Stein
Via (music thing)

Not breathing sound systems & Carrion sound

2008-05-07T15:28:00.007+01:00

My friend Sascha renner as sent me an email about this.
I must admit that im having trouble writing this post, theres so much information that i dont really know were to start.
Theres circuit bending machines, modular instruments,lighting stuff etc...
Theres also a store were you could buy stuff.
Lots of schematics too.
Some instruments are influenced by ciat lonbarde but the cases and the wood designs are really something to see.
Without further delay here goes.
"we have worked with the record labels: terminal dusk, kimosciotic, invisible records, dagon productions, antzen / hymen, asafoetida, auscultare, instant shoggoth, pinch a loaf, visible records, little fox, sick muse, mutant music, F.D.R., haltapes, mother savage noise, brutal sound effects, DHR, hushush/hednod, labyrinth, zyon, spite, VUZ, many others...
we have toured the US several times. we have toured as support act for the following bands us tours: einsturzende neubauten, pigface, dead voices on air, flange du mal, subarachnoid space, test department, sheep on drugs, etc...
we make our own music equipment - please look at our site for info on that"

Not breathing sound systems & Carrion sound

Alpha-machine

2008-05-07T15:22:00.004+01:00

New instrument from sascha (aka SubtleNoiseMaker).
Great design, as always, this one goes for about 340€ he puts also some samples on the site, be shure to check it out.

Alpha-machine

Behold the new face

2008-05-07T15:18:00.004+01:00

Too much work in the past weeks trying to design the new beep glitch.
Its all comming great the design and the code for the site.
So here is a first pic, hope that you like it.

Bent 2008

2008-04-14T21:53:00.003+01:00

Its close one more year of Bent festival, first New yor then L.A and least but not last Miniapolis, for those you are going have lots of fun.
"This is the fifth year of the Bent Festival, and will be the most expansive year to date featuring more workshops, performers, and art installations than ever before. Sponsored in part by Make Magazine (www.makezine.com), this yearÕs festival will continue last year's tradition of taking the festival on the road, from coast to coast! The dates and locations for this year's festival are as follows"

New York -April 24-26
LA -April 17-19
Minneapolis -May 1-3

Bent Festival

The 2 mile Quadruplex

2008-04-08T02:35:00.003+01:00

The 2 mile Quadruplex is a new film organisation that is pro-magnetism and anti-narrative.
We are looking for video in the following (made-up) genres:

* noise
* video-synthesis
* video-bent
* demoscene
* trash/broken
* old media
* data bending/'Mush'-inima
* ear-eye experiments
* VHS nostalgia
* other...

for an evening of video, film and live performances in Hull, UK.
Deadline: 30th May 08

Quadruplex

Creature

2008-04-05T14:56:00.003+01:00

From Haunted house records comes Creature, a electronic circuit bending sample dvd.
"Electronic Critters is a sample dvd based on circuit bent childrens toys. This sample dvd was born during the creation of Creature's latest album Distant Horizon. At the start of the albums writing process, creature aka Stephen Haunts from Derby in the UK, spent months circuit bending and sampling childrens toys. Once sampled, the recordings where chopped up and run thorugh numerous effects to create sounds unlike anything you have ever heard before. Stephen enjoyed this process so much, that after Distant Horizon was released, he continued processing these sounds and created even more alien sounding textures. The result is this sample dvd. The package contains:"

Creature electronic critters

Nemo

2008-04-05T14:46:00.004+01:00

Another one from genoqs machines, this one is called nemo, a full midi sequencer.
Here is some info about it.
"Nemo is a high-end MIDI step sequencer, adding portability to the highly acclaimed functionality and user friendliness of Octopus. It is in many ways an Octopus in disguise, and one that feels equally well in a backpack or on your lap!

It features the same sequencing lighthouse features that Octopus users have enjoyed for years, including polyphonic steps, self-modulating and cross-modulating sequences, freely editable musical scales, user editable runtime directions, full-scale MIDI recording, and much more.

Nemo’s tactile and visual feedback, as in Octopus, is a physical experience so typical for traditional musical instruments. You know already that music is about your body as music is being felt, heard and played with Nemo. And the numbers behind it all.. no display? Well, do you really care? Yes, computers love them. We love light, color, and most of all music!"

Nemo

Phidgets

2008-03-31T13:51:00.002+01:00

"What are Phidgets?

Phidgets are a set of "plug and play" building blocks for low cost USB sensing and control from your PC. All the USB complexity is taken care of by our robust API. Applications can be developed quickly in .NET, Visual Basic, VBA (Microsoft Access and Excel), LabView, Java, Delphi, C, C++ and Python.
The coolest thing about Phidgets is that you can map it anywere in your software (like midi and osc)and play around with the sensors.
They have a lot of bundles and starter kits at a good price.
I would love to see a circuit bending instrument controled by this phigets.

Phigets

Nervoussquirrel

2008-03-10T16:10:00.003+00:00

Just take a look at those instruments, nice carving, great design, and great sounds too.
Nervoussquirrel aka David crammer built this wonderful instruments and a lot of good and strange stuff too (just look ate the coil winder), but what catch my eye was the built quality of this stuff... supreme.

Nervoussquirrel

This post was bought to you by Sasha renner

Sonic devices for sale

2008-02-26T22:26:00.002+00:00

"SNM-Chaoscillator
needs 2x 9Volt Battery
2 chaotic oscis, both with chaos on/off switch, each osci benefits of a power-starve knob.
both channels can be connected to the added passive ringmodulator, or one channel and anything amplified else
can be connected to the ringmod. or two amplified signals could go to the ringmod."

"VCacophonator - board layout @ worth ekik
needs 1x 9V-Battery"

"Weird sound generator in wooden case with low power modding:
printed PC Board from Ray Wilson (gave me green light to sell the modded wsg)
needs 1x 9V-Battery"

Just look at this instruments..:) they are so beautifull and so tasty too, and they are for sale, just check the Subtlenoizemaker website and deliciate yourself.

Sonic for sale

Quad box

2008-02-26T22:22:00.005+00:00

"quadripolar is collective recordings of experimental brazilian artists.
free improvisation.
live recordings.
handmade devices.
circuit bending.
home made for home listening.

Quad is not a label.
It is a collection of experimental recordings, some in my livingroom, others live.
In my home I use technics of hardware hacking and circuit bending, living behind all theories and conventions.
Old and damaged solid state tape recorders, instruments build and modified by me are some of my recording tools.
I have iniciated this collection in 2007, but I make recordings since 1998. At the beginning my motivation was just spread out my own material, and little by little other artists used to conventional studios handed up to my free creation.
The format of the disks are variable: mini cd, cd card, mini dvd, cd and dvd. The number of copyes is limited."
Hi would like to say a big thanks to pan&tone for all its hard work and for giving so much to circuit bending.

Quad box

Say hi and welcome to new collaborators

2008-02-26T21:54:00.004+00:00

yes beep glitch its proud to present Pan&tone and Sascha renner as two new collaborators for beep glitch blog.
First Pan&tone is an artist from brazil that explores circuit bending, he also as done some great workshops (wich as been pulicated here ), you can see the work of Pan&tone
here (Pan&tone website)
here (Pan&tone myspace)
SubtleNoizeMaker aka sascha renner is our second colaborator he as some great gadgets and also really beutifull designs too (expect great posts from sascha)he is also a circuit bending artist and you can see info about Sascha
here (Subtlenoizemaker website)
here (subtlenoizemaker myspace)
Also we are thinking of porting beep glitch to a new website full of great stuff, including a online store with you can buy some of the great instruments that you see here weekly, many things to come for the future, stay tuned.

Bruce haack

2008-02-21T14:57:00.004+00:00

"bruce´s world was private, and he was such a private thing"this is the beguining of the bruce haack documentary, simply amazing and so way ahead of us all.
"an interview with Philip Anagnos Director of "Haack: The King Of Techno"

FEATURING: bruce haack, esther nelson, praxiteles pandel, chris kachulis, starchildren, jean jacques perrey, money mark (beastie boys), mark oliver everett (eels), mouse on mars, cut chemist, peanut butter wolf, tipsy, dj me dj you, anubian lights, mister rogers (pbs), garry moore (i've got a secret), russell simmons (def jam)"

Bruce haack the movie
Vide bruce haack

Grooverider in jail

2008-02-21T14:45:00.003+00:00

Hi this is sad news, i always been a fan of grooverider, and seen a couple of shows in lisbon, it seems that grooverider as been arrested with the possesion of cannabis in dubai, and he is facing 4 years of jail.
Please if you like grooverider as much as me send it a letter of support he will need it.

Grooverider article on the guardian
Dubai and tony blair

$20 midi synth

2008-02-02T15:28:00.000+00:00

midi controlled cmos diy synth (prototype):
a cheap diy instrument controlled by ableton live.

Found this one browsing em411.

em411

Vid