Modular Mindfulness

I've been struggling to get back into any kind of 'fun with modular' phase. I turned on recently intending to work on the joystick review and ended up with yet another move around of modules.

I can turn on my Elektron gear and have a new tune going in 5 mins. With the modular, I won't even have decided which modules to use in that time. The smaller modular, which is in the other room, is better in that sense because there are just a hand-picked selection so maybe put the joystick in that one. Maybe I'll go play piano instead.

Another day.
My move-around seems to have been a good thing. My small Roland case now holds just the DPO, Benjolin, ErbeVerb and Chance modules - still inspired by the Easel but its own thing. I made a lovely space drone feeding the DPO output into the Lyra-FX and Magneto modules and adding slight modulation from the Benjolin.

Just installing the Keystep update - a great update too addressing all of the things I didn't like originally. Let's go see if it works. Ah, seems to be an issue with starting sequences - they don't always start at step 1 when the new arm function in use. Will see if it's user error or another bodged update. Shame they didn't want me as beta tester.

And here's some starlings.

Ah, the 80s

Yesterday I recorded in the Light Studio, today the Dark. Two new pieces in progress with limited setups from each room. It means I have something for when Pete comes later in the month.
Anyway.
Once again the matter of my 1980s cassettes has come up. Once again someone wants to re-release some of them. Once again I'm forced to deal with digging them out and listening, wincing, trying to decide if I want to bother or would rather leave things in fuzzy memory where they surely belong.
I don't know whether to be pleased that I reached a few people with what I did back when I knew nothing or sad that when I felt I did start to find my own path, it was one few traveled with me. Admittedly it's a path with lots of twists and turns, sometimes winding back on itself, other times heading carelessly into the wilderness singing and what-ho-ing.
I was looking over my bandcamp releases earlier, trying to work out if there's enough of a cross-section there that I needn't add to it ever again (I will, inevitably). I'm pleased to note that eventually, it seems, even the odder releases (the ones I liked perhaps because of their oddness) have done OK in the long run. Albums like 'and darkness falls' and Cyberdiver were deformed mutants designed to challenge lovers of sequences and melody. And Red Book, which has Carl's overdubs, should have done better but perhaps people have the CD. I know many of the synth people preferred Blue Book as it ticked more of the regular boxes. Can't argue with that as I knocked it up in a single weekend box-ticking exercise to enable Red Book to get out there.
Ah well.
It's Saturday and raining. I've had a few days of happy studio indulgence so should probably make contact with the world again, see what it's up to.
Oh, and I tried and failed to write up something about Carl's passing. I mean, I did it but it was poor stuff and not in any way what I wanted, except perhaps in pointing people to Carl's recent output. I dearly hope they won't just be interested in his old cassettes.

Advice I promise I will not be taking to heart.

The 20th Synth-DIY Anniversary weekend

A long drive to Cambridge. In fact, lots of driving in just a few days - two airport trips and a to and fro effort with my mum and her eye. Where to start?
Actually, the biggest, saddest news was the death of Carl Matthews. We hadn't corresponded for a while but by chance I did play some of his music to Colin and Tony on the Thursday before we left for Cambridge. Tony identified the composer at once, which is testament to Carl's unique and special style. I still don't have suitable words, other than to say it's the third friend whose death was revealed to me by Facebook's channels.

The usual snaps.  Was good to see Colin and Tony, talk Cirklon and listen to Tony's single voice synth (a gorgeous SEM-alike). Tony's step sequencer was cool too - if I hadn't got bored with Eurorack I'd surely want one. Also got to play a Deckard's Dream and really liked it. It's helped a lot by its effects and by an additional Big Sky reverb though.
Ate a LOT, drank quite a bit, glad to be home and detoxing. Well the gladness was dampened by news of Carl's death - which prompted me to dig out as much music of his as possible. Carl did some very cool overdubs on my Red Book album and I added some noises to his Ixion's Wheel. I finally managed to rip most of the latter and it's still great.
Tony took my Perfourmer and Tim's 100m to fix. Hope to get the Perfourmer back before Pete comes later this month but if not will adapt. Currently listening through a lot of Ideation stuff and realising how good it is and how almost nobody knows we exist. Self-promotion not my strong point. Good material unreleased includes 2 (possibly 3) gigs and a lot of long jams recorded at Pete's that time, plus some of the long-form stuff from our last get-together here.

My work in the garden is accumulating, perhaps because I haven't done any of it. The sparrows are having such a ball in all the foliage I can't bring myself to start cutting things back yet, but the end of this month is my deadline for doing something.

I'd like to do some more long-form piano pieces, just need to get in the right frame of mind. The long one I did when Pat was away is really quite nice and even the more conventional Glass-style piece I played over the Synthi noise isn't far off being something in its cut-down 8-9 min form. Time, where does it go?

Teatime postponed because a staffie has leapt into the horses' field and savaged a couple of the poor beasts. Unusually, the lady owner stuck around and has offered to pay. Also unusually, Pat's horse was not involved. Instead of eating I spent an hour or so watching the (large) family of mice running up the large thistle near the bird feeder, helping themselves to the spilled seeds. The little onanists!