EMS Spectron video synthesizer dvd

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EMS Spectron video synthesizer dvd

Post by shadowplay » Fri Jan 19, 2018 8:28 am

FYI

I just bought Logic Formations a DVD by Jeffrey Siedler and though it might interest some of the synth fans here. It's a pretty interesting curio and anyone checking out other releases on Buried Treasure might not be disappointed, it's a must buy label for me.

Video sample
Over 2 hours of vintage 1970's style video graphics & modular atmospherics inspired by the super rare 1970's EMS Spectron video synthesizer. Produced by Australian academic Jeffrey Siedler, the DVD comes with an illustrated booklet written by Jeffrey & EMS wunderkid Richard Monkhouse who designed the original Spectron. Plus a 10 track album download of modular electronic music composed to accompany the videos.
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Re: EMS Spectron video synthesizer dvd

Post by OffYourFace » Sat Jan 20, 2018 11:54 am

Super cool! thanks for this 8)

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Re: EMS Spectron video synthesizer dvd

Post by shadowplay » Sun Jan 21, 2018 12:01 am

OffYourFace wrote:
Sat Jan 20, 2018 11:54 am
Super cool! thanks for this 8)
Glad to find it's of interest, really looking forward to watching it and looking through the book. I don't know anything about the equipment, so it's pretty fascinating. Not one to sleep on since it's 100 copies only. I'm thinking it will be great to project in the garden at our Beltane/May Day party.

I'd probably run a mile from any sort of guitar demonstration elpee but synth ones seem to work well. Have you heard (Ben Edwards who is in the brilliant Wrangler with Stephen Mallinder) Benge 20 Systems?
Described by Brian Eno as "a brilliant contribution to the archaeology of electronic music", Twenty Systems is a truly impressive catalogue of innovations in synthesizer technology, chronologically ordered between 1968 and 1987. Each of the twenty pieces on the disc showcase the particular sonorities of a synthesizer, beginning with the Moog Modular and concluding with the Kawai K5M. This really is nerd heaven. As far as composition is concerned, Benge (aka Ben Edwards) has tried to leave his own personal voice out of the equation, permitting as much room for the machines to function as possible without the heavy intervention of a human hand. Excellent.
I stole this blurb from Boomkat where you can buy the download, though one of the attractions of the hard copy is the great booklet.

I've been interested in reading your occasional posts on your growing synth expertise, I look forward to hearing any music you release.

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Re: EMS Spectron video synthesizer dvd

Post by OffYourFace » Sun Jan 21, 2018 1:07 am

shadowplay wrote:
Sun Jan 21, 2018 12:01 am
Have you heard (Ben Edwards who is in the brilliant Wrangler with Stephen Mallinder) Benge 20 Systems?
That video was a bit painful to watch but I enjoyed the audio demos on the Boomkat site. He definitely has his 'thing' and the clips from his record are interesting. I've had my hands on 90% of the units on that list so it was fun to listen to them.

The 1968 Moog clip is weird... so minimal. Luckily he does a fair bit more with the other pieces. He really likes his long decay and release ambient tones but does it very well. The fairlight clip was interesting. No one really uses it that way. I'm always expecting the Vox sounds or some whacky Art Of Noise or Peter Gabriel percussive hits. Are you familiar with Vanilla Sky? That's some of my favorite Fairlight stuff. It's so dry and menacing.
shadowplay wrote:
Sun Jan 21, 2018 12:01 am
I've been interested in reading your occasional posts on your growing synth expertise, I look forward to hearing any music your release.
Thanks! Me too :D It's definitely pop music. I've been working on a record for a year now. Some things are just out of my control since I do not sing. I have someone but it's complicated. She's an established artist and about to release her first proper solo record (She's always been in major record label bands, etc.) so she's a bit busy. We'll see. I'd love to finish it with her but I may need to find someone else.

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Re: EMS Spectron video synthesizer dvd

Post by shadowplay » Sun Jan 21, 2018 1:48 am

OffYourFace wrote:
Sun Jan 21, 2018 1:07 am

The 1968 Moog clip is weird... so minimal. Luckily he does a fair bit more with the other pieces. He really likes his long decay and release ambient tones but does it very well. The fairlight clip was interesting. No one really uses it that way. I'm always expecting the Vox sounds or some whacky Art Of Noise or Peter Gabriel percussive hits. Are you familiar with Vanilla Sky? That's some of my favorite Fairlight stuff. It's so dry and menacing.
He's pretty minimal on 20 Systems, it's all about the equipment, almost like a Stereo demonstration record in many ways..

He more expressive when he's the Maths part of John Foxx and the Maths and when he's in Wrangler who I really like and who i'd recommend a jaunt out to see if they play in your neck of the woods.

Pop music is pretty much music as far as I'm conerned and I look forward to hearing your stuff. All too often people with a lot of the old gear get sucked down a navel gazing wormhole of minimal bleeping, so it's always nice to hear folk using them to make a tune.

Do you mean Liquid Sky? Yes I've the album somewhere but I'll need to listen it again to remind myself.

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Re: EMS Spectron video synthesizer dvd

Post by OffYourFace » Sun Jan 21, 2018 1:59 am

LoL yes Liquid Sky. Hahaha. Glad you caught that. Def not the Tom cruise movie. I'm
tired. I should go to bed. :D

Thanks for those links! I didn't realize he does stuff with john Foxx. Cool. I'll happily check those out.

I'll gladly send you some music in the near future. Yeah I just make songs. I'm not into the bleeps and bloops. I love synths and I love making music on them. All my guitars are collecting dust. I have too many habits on guitar that limit me. With keyboard, I'm not a player so I'm forced to use my ears rather than fall into patterns the way I do on guitar. Therefore, I get to the music much faster and it's much more gratifying.

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Re: EMS Spectron video synthesizer dvd

Post by shadowplay » Tue Jan 30, 2018 2:02 am

Btw this just arrived it's amazing and pretty educational. I worry that if I look at too long I might end up sucked into the digital dimension. It's not unlike Norman McLaren goes Videodrome.

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