Let’s Talk Music

End Titles by Frap Tools

Today we chat with Jerome Begin, an American composer and musician based in New York. We talk about his musical journey, how he approached modular synthesizers and why, and take a look at his compositional approach through the commissioned score he wrote for the Douglas Dunn dance company.

Jerome is currently Music Advisor at the Juilliard School Dance Division, and has composed many scores for dance, theater, concert works, installation and film performed worldwide. In his current works, he is mostly working on the interaction between electronic devices and acoustic instruments.

www.jeromebegin.com

Two modular scores mentioned in the interview:

Greener Grass: https://vimeo.com/790299860

Bubble: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lp66DG7CNic

Today's guest is Ben Carey, an Australian composer, improviser, and educator, based in Sydney/Eora. He makes electronic music using the modular synthesizer, develops interactive music software, and creates audio-visual works. Ben is a Senior Lecturer in Composition and Music Technology at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, University of Sydney, and his research and practice are concerned with interactive and generative music.

https://bencarey.net/

https://bencarey.bandcamp.com/

Listen to the podcast here:

• Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/0mfJXL5LGSl5sCM0pIFoOV?si=518eebac405f41e1

• Apple https://podcasts.apple.com/it/podcast/lets-talk-music/id1717656645

• Soundcloud https://soundcloud.com/fraptools/

Join our Discord community: https://discord.com/invite/TgAjm7aVWZ

00:00:00 Introduction

00:00:33 Ben’s musical journey

00:05:38 Building your own instrument vs ready-made synthesizers

00:11:38 Digital vs analog and the problem of interfaces

00:30:38 Ben’s patch

00:49:00 Clocks and spaces

00:55:00 Morphagene as a reverb

00:59:03 Feedback patching and resonances

01:15:43 What could be the next Frap Tools module?

01:24:35 Closing remarks

#fraptools #electronicmusic #modularsynthesizer #euroracksynth #sounddesign #synth

Mat Watson is an Australian multi-instrumentalist focussed on the exploration of electronic sound and the drum set spanning experimental, improvisational and traditional forms. He is widely recognised for his involvement in large-scale unconventional orchestras and collaborations. He has played with Japanese underground legends Boredoms on several BoaDrum concerts and composed music and conducted the MESS Synthesiser Orchestra (16 people and 40 synthesisers) at the Sidney Myer Music Bowl. Collaborations include Bronx No Wave icons E.S.G, Australian music legends Underground Lovers (Moda Discoteca) and Ollie Olsen (Taipan Tiger Girls), among many others. He has produced records under his own name, along with several aliases and currently runs record label Eternal Music Projects out of Imaginary Sound Fields.

Bandcamp: https://eternalmusicprojects.bandcamp.com/

Website: matwatson.co

Listen to the podcast here:

• Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/0mfJXL5LGSl5sCM0pIFoOV?si=518eebac405f41e1

• Apple https://podcasts.apple.com/it/podcast/lets-talk-music/id1717656645

• Soundcloud https://soundcloud.com/fraptools/

• Google https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5zb3VuZGNsb3VkLmNvbS91c2Vycy9zb3VuZGNsb3VkOnVzZXJzOjgxNjEzMDMzMy9zb3VuZHMucnNz?sa=X&ved=0CAMQ4aUDahcKEwiwuPuHkIWEAxUAAAAAHQAAAAAQAg

Join our Discord community: https://discord.com/invite/TgAjm7aVWZ

00:00:00 Introduction

00:00:41 Mat's musical journey

00:22:48 Approaching modular

00:36:15 Mat’s first patch

00:49:55 Mat’s second patch & breakdown

01:10:38 Patch discussion

01:21:28 What could be the next Frap Tools module?

01:28:12 Giovanni’s patch

Sam Sakr is an Australian musician, sound artist and producer. He has written for artists like Sarah Aarons, Dua Lipa, Cardi B, Carly Rae Jepson, The Veronicas, and many more. His introspective solo project Sakr blurs the lines between sound design and electronic music, creating a world of his own.

Sam's music: https://sakrmusic.bandcamp.com/music

Listen to the podcast here:

• Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/0mfJXL5LGSl5sCM0pIFoOV?si=518eebac405f41e1

• Apple https://podcasts.apple.com/it/podcast/lets-talk-music/id1717656645

• Soundcloud https://soundcloud.com/fraptools/

• Google https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5zb3VuZGNsb3VkLmNvbS91c2Vycy9zb3VuZGNsb3VkOnVzZXJzOjgxNjEzMDMzMy9zb3VuZHMucnNz?sa=X&ved=0CAMQ4aUDahcKEwiwuPuHkIWEAxUAAAAAHQAAAAAQAg

Join our Discord community: https://discord.com/invite/TgAjm7aVWZ

00:00:00 Introduction

00:00:45 Sam's musical journey

00:19:30 The modular synthesizer in the daily work of a producer

00:38:18 The Sakr project

00:48:16 Sam's patch

00:50:53 Patch breakdown

1:00:57 Patch discussion

01:09:30 On keyboard synths

01:18:13 What could be the next Frap Tools module?

01:27:01 Giovanni's patch and breakdown

Trevor Tunnacliffe is a composer and multi-instrumentalist from Vancouver, Canada. His musical interests draw mostly from the early Renaissance counterpoint treatises, which he first encountered as a viola da gamba player. He plays bass, guitar, and modular synthesizer for Unthunk, his collective project whose music ranges between chamber and pop, including a mix of vocal and instrumental pieces.

Unthunk music: https://unthunk.ca/

Listen to the podcast here:

• Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/0mfJXL5LGSl5sCM0pIFoOV?si=518eebac405f41e1

• Apple https://podcasts.apple.com/it/podcast/lets-talk-music/id1717656645

• Soundcloud https://soundcloud.com/fraptools/

• Google https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5zb3VuZGNsb3VkLmNvbS91c2Vycy9zb3VuZGNsb3VkOnVzZXJzOjgxNjEzMDMzMy9zb3VuZHMucnNz?sa=X&ved=0CAMQ4aUDahcKEwiwuPuHkIWEAxUAAAAAHQAAAAAQAg

Join our Discord community: https://discord.com/invite/TgAjm7aVWZ

00:00:00 Introduction

00:00:38 Trevor's musical journey

00:14:41 Modal counterpoint in Trevor's music

00:27:43 Trevor's patch

00:43:57 The idea of a voltage "timeline"

00:53:36 Oceanography and music

00:56:32 The Unthunk collective

01:00:31 Tuning systems and just intonation

01:04:58 What could be the next Frap Tools module?

01:17:52 Giovanni's patch

Tim Davies is a modular synth artist, drummer and audio engineer from Oxford, UK. Educated at Oxford University, where he achieved a Master’s in Physics, Tim’s scientific background has a large influence on his creative work - which explores the many parallels between the worlds of modular synthesis and jazz music. Tim is one half of the electronic duo Marble Sun, plays drums+synthesisers for the singer songwriter Ralph Porrett, and also writes his own music.

Marble Sun Bandcamp

https://marble-sun.bandcamp.com/album/sunflower-2

Marble Sun- Spotify

https://open.spotify.com/artist/59LnVNZ53Em2V1GvHKuo9f?si=YCciYxqRTWqClntlJMgoKg

Marble Sun - Socials

https://www.instagram.com/marblesunmusic/

Tim Davies

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=98DbqgA42UM

Listen to the podcast here:

• Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/0mfJXL5LGSl5sCM0pIFoOV?si=518eebac405f41e1

• Apple https://podcasts.apple.com/it/podcast/lets-talk-music/id1717656645

• Soundcloud https://soundcloud.com/fraptools/

• Google https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5zb3VuZGNsb3VkLmNvbS91c2Vycy9zb3VuZGNsb3VkOnVzZXJzOjgxNjEzMDMzMy9zb3VuZHMucnNz?sa=X&ved=0CAMQ4aUDahcKEwiwuPuHkIWEAxUAAAAAHQAAAAAQAg

Join our Discord community: https://discord.com/invite/TgAjm7aVWZ

00:00:00 Introduction

00:42:18 Tim’s musical journey

00:12:53 Marble Sun and other projects

00:22:25 Tim’s compositional approach

00:29:17 Tim’s patch

00:34:07 Modulations, destinations, Fumana

00:54:11 On noise and gritty sounds

01:14:35 What could be the next Frap Tools module?

01:24:28 Giovanni’s patch

#fraptools #eurorack #modularsynth #electronicmusic #housemusic

Isabella Forciniti is an Italian sound artist, researcher, and performer based in Vienna. Her projects focus on the artistic potential of digital networking and environmental data. Her academic background encompasses communication sciences, multimedia, and computer music. She was featured on the Shape+ platform's selection and performed in many of Europe's avantgarde music festivals, like Wien Modern, Ars Electronica, Unsound Festival, and more.

Isabella's music: https://isabella.klingt.org/

Video: https://youtu.be/XfK6I-0BUR8

00:00:00 Introduction

00:00:38 Isabella's background

00:17:48 Current projects: free will, nature, technology

00:37:43 Musical scores and the eternity of music

00:49:39 Isabella's patch

00:57:33 Silence and reverb

01:08:36 Isabella's influences and the visibility of women, non-binary, transgender, and gender fluid artists

01:35:04 What could be the next Frap Tools module?

01:42:57 Giovanni's patch

Listen to the podcast here:

• Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/0mfJXL5LGSl5sCM0pIFoOV?si=518eebac405f41e1

• Apple https://podcasts.apple.com/it/podcast/lets-talk-music/id1717656645

• Soundcloud https://soundcloud.com/fraptools/

• Google https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5zb3VuZGNsb3VkLmNvbS91c2Vycy9zb3VuZGNsb3VkOnVzZXJzOjgxNjEzMDMzMy9zb3VuZHMucnNz?sa=X&ved=0CAMQ4aUDahcKEwiwuPuHkIWEAxUAAAAAHQAAAAAQAg

Join our Discord community: https://discord.com/invite/TgAjm7aVWZ

Lukas Hermann is a German scholar, musician, and teacher, whose music reflects his deep interest in literature. His compositions for modular synthesizer oscillate between lyrical forms and abstract sound sculptures. He releases his music on Hauch Records, Petite Victory Collective and on the label of Eurorack Ruhr, a music collective he co-founded. Hermann regularly organizes session evenings, concerts and workshops for Eurorack Ruhr in the Ruhr region and other cities in NRW.

Lukas' album: https://lukehrm.bandcamp.com/album/startling-cracks

Listen to the podcast here:

• Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/0mfJXL5LGSl5sCM0pIFoOV?si=518eebac405f41e1

• Apple https://podcasts.apple.com/it/podcast/lets-talk-music/id1717656645

• Soundcloud https://soundcloud.com/fraptools/

• Google https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5zb3VuZGNsb3VkLmNvbS91c2Vycy9zb3VuZGNsb3VkOnVzZXJzOjgxNjEzMDMzMy9zb3VuZHMucnNz?sa=X&ved=0CAMQ4aUDahcKEwiwuPuHkIWEAxUAAAAAHQAAAAAQAg

Join our Discord community: https://discord.com/invite/TgAjm7aVWZ

00:00:00 Introduction and Lukas' musical journey

00:08:19 Adult & children education

00:14:15 Eurorack Ruhr and the Western German electronic scene

00:25:58 Luka's approach to music composition

00:31:36 Lukas' patch

00:45:01 Patch discussion: on feedback, instability, and interaction

01:03:48 Startling Cracks, Lukas' latest album

01:08:34 What could be the next Frap Tools module?

01:12:54 Giovanni's patch

Rayhan Sudrajat is an Indonesian ethnomusicologist and composer also known as Baséput. His research focused on Kalimantan death rituals from the musical perspective. Baséput is his electronic music project, whose concept is to link between the voices and instruments of the indigenous people and the modular synthesizer to create a new form of experience in the modular world.

Baséput's EP: https://baseput.bandcamp.com/album/astungkara

Video: https://youtu.be/oDQLAuvnS-8

00:00:00 Rayhan Sudrajat’s music and research on Kalimantan death rituals

00:09:28 Sundanese traditional music and modular synthesizers

00:20:28 Rayhan’s patch

00:27:25 Sampling ancient Indonesian instruments and Buchla synths

00:40:18 Microtonal scales with the USTA sequencer and other performance techniques

00:57:28 Techno and the importance of keep learning

01:04:37 What could be the next Frap Tools module?

01:10:36 Giovanni’s Patch