Open Circuit presents an evening of Modular Synthesis and Circuit-Bent Instruments.
Peter Edwards (USA) - His first UK appearance, this audiovisual performance occupies a sonic territory between noise and melody, chaos and structure. Using the Benjolin Light Synth, his own modification of engineer/artist Rob Hordijk’s Benjolin synthesizer, Casperelectronics creates an intense soundscape reminiscent of an analog modem trying to transmit data over outer-space radio waves, all accompanied by a constantly flickering RGB code. The light display utilizes three high intensity LEDs in red, green and blue. Combining these three colors allows full spectrum color mixing. Signals taken from the audio circuitry are used to control the three LEDs independently. The lights can be configured in a variety of ways to respond to the circuitry. In some cases, the relationship between what you hear and what you see will be very obvious, in others it will be less obvious or not at all. Regardless, the sound and light always comes from the same circuitry and are linked on some level.
Joker Nies (Germany) - Known for his energetic improvisations on unusual electronic instruments and re-built electronic toys! He has played with many established improvisers all over Europe and the US and is also part of the trio Die Schrauber.
Richard Scott (UK) - Active member of the improvising and electroacoustic communities in London, Manchester and Berlin working with analogue modular synthesizers and alternative controllers such as his own self-designed WiGi infrared controller. He is a long term artistic resident at STEIM in Amsterdam, and co-curator of two underground experimental, improvised and electronic concert series in Berlin: AUXXX Berlin and Basic Electricity.
Sam Weaver (UK) – One half of London outfit Hungryghost will be performing on a Rob Hordijk’s designed Modular synthesizer and will be joined by the man himself allowing you to experience the amazing sounds that his designs are capable of producing!
The Benjolin Orchestra - Participants in the daytime Benjolin Workshop will perform with their freshly made instruments under the guidance of Joker Nies…
Casperelectronics. Following a degree in sculpture he received an MA from experimental electronic music and the experimental design of physical interfaces on the Institute of Sonology in Haag and at STEIM in Amsterdam. He designs and produces electronic instruments, as is, for example, the famous Nova Drone) and offers them on his website Casperelectronics in form of kits. He lectures on the principles of hacking hardware (he currently lectures about DIY electronics at the Royal Academy of Art in Haag) and publishes exercise books on electronics for the American DIY tech magazine Make. He was a guest lecturer, held workshops and performed at elite universities, such as MIT’s Media Lab, Hasbro Toys, Hampshire College, Skidmore College, New York University, Bloomfield University, Long Beach University and Georgia Southern University, and on new-media art festivals across the globe, among others at Piksel (Bergen, Norway), OFFF and Pixel (Paris, France), Sequences (Reykjavik, Island), Transmediale, Dutch Electronic Arts Festival, Performa and Bent (New York & Los Angeles, USA).\ \ His sculptures have been exhibited at the Tang Museum (Saratoga Springs, USA), Green Gallery (Yale University, New Haven, USA), West Hall Gallery (RPI, Troy, USA) ABC no Rio (New York, USA), Lost Horse Gallery (Reykjavik, Island), Hans Wies Gallery (Manchester, USA). He has collaborated with prominent musicians, such as Danny Elfman, Mike Patton, The Melvins, Rahzel, Black Moth Super Rainbow, Dan Deacon and many others.
Richard Scott is a composer and performer of electronic and improvised music. For much of the last decade he has been dedicated to the compositional and performance possibilities of analogue modular synthesizers. He also works with a variety of digital technologies such as Ambisonics, multichannel diffusion and with instruments such as the Buchla Lightning and Thunder and his self-designed WiGi system developed as an Artistic Resident at STIEM.
Joker Nies lives and works in Cologne, Germany, as a musician, sound-designer, sound-engineer, photographer and technical editor for the German magazines Sound&Recording and Keyboards.
Since the early 80´s, Nies experiments with all kinds of electronic sound-sources, like modular-analog synthesizers, individually designed electronic devices, DSP-based systems (like Kyma/Capybara) and software based sound-sources. During the early 90´s, modifying the Omnichord became his initiation to what is known as circuit-bending. Since that time a steadily growing number of devices has been converted from simple toys into alien sound devices.
For his live-performances the focus has completely moved away from computer hosted sound enviroments and shifted to analog electronics instead. His instruments, beneath the Omnichord, are carefully selected and modified electronics, and the outstanding instruments Rob Hordijk has built for him.\ Recent activities include software synth-design in MAX/MSP for the german Keyboards magazine, and production and sound design for radio-plays. Nies also leads workshops and tutorials about circuit-bending, DIY-instruments and synth-design in MAX/MSP.
His musical activities are centered around an improvisational aproach, like with the Trio Die Schrauber or The KØP. He also cooperates in composition-based projects like the activities of the multimedia project REALTIME-RESEARCH and QUANTUM QUASI dance-projects.
Joker Nies performed on festivals in all of Europe, USA and Mexico, with artists like John Butcher, Ernst Reijsinger, Birgit Uhler, Thomas Lehn, Alan Silva, Dave Tucker, Seth Josel, Hans Tammen, Mario De Vega, Gino Robair and many others.
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