Composer and sound artist Aimée Portioli, known as Grand River, discusses her fascination with creative limitation, the origins of her “One Instrument” label, and her tactile relationship with sound, space, and synthesis.
For Karol (a.k.a. Caught in Joy), the studio is one enormous instrument – a place where sequencers, synthesizers, tape machines, guitars, and software become part of the same performance. We talk about repetition, analog sound, building his own tools, and creating music for a distracted world.
Roland’s TR-909 began life as a commercial failure, then became one of the defining instruments of techno, house, and electronic music. In this excerpt from the brand-new Bjooks book BEAT GEMS, we explore how the 909 found its sound, its scene, and its place in music history.
All 3 parts of the documentary: In a studio wired for discovery, Robin Rimbaud – better known as Scanner – reflects on three decades of shaping sound at the edges of music and art. This three-part documentary explores modular synthesis as a tool for curiosity, chance, and constant reinvention.