North²

When I was 16 I bought my first Roland TR 606 for $25. I only wanted to use it as a glorified metronome to practice my bass, mainly my funk and straight-eighth grooves. This was a foreign object. I was raised on FM radio and the albums my older brothers brought home- the Who, Boston, ELO, Stones. My first bass teacher happened to be a jazz player. That being said, the 606 was fascinating in that it was exacting yet warm, unforgiving but with rich with character, begging to be programmed and re-programmed. The perfect repetition (which can be argued) presents an environment of predictability that allowed my ears to drift between the layers of tones created.

I began forcing the output through my guitar and bass pedals, recording the results on my Tascam 4-Track. While I continued to study jazz and contemporary music and performing many other types of music, I looked forward to going home after gigs and powering up my small collection of analog machines. It used to be difficult trying to reconcile these two seemingly opposite paths.

These pieces utilize all (most of) the significant 80s Roland drum machines. Deliberate use of glitch, amplified artifacts and DAW editing and processing informs these pieces as I allowed these influences to be embraced in these compositions.

Asymmetry plays a significant role in the arrangements. Months after the mixes were done and taking time away from them, I discovered upon deeper reflection that the asymmetrical phrases and sections contrast the 16 beat compositional propensity intrinsic to the design of the machines. I was embracing and fighting back against the very architecture of the box.

https://dru3m0chin3st.bandcamp.com/releases

https://www.instagram.com/dru3m0chin3st/

http://drewwatersmusic.com/

Dr. Drew Waters is an electric bassist, composer, educator and recording engineer living in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Android Girlfriend is a synthpop artist currently based out of Nashville, Tennessee, but was formed in Los Angeles, California in October 2017. The sole member, Riley Fuxley, spent her teenage years taking voice, guitar, and piano lessons. She began writing songs on her guitar in the spring of 2016, and began writing music using software in September 2017.

...Sadly she passed away in Summer of 2019.

Androidgirlfriend.bandcamp.com

Soundcloud.com/androidgirlfriend

Facebook.com/androidgirlfriend

Twitter.com/androidgfmusic

Instagram: @android.girlfriend

https://www.patreon.com/northbeats

Android Girlfriend is a synthpop artist currently based out of Nashville, Tennessee.

Interview with Jeremy Cotta on North Beats podcast.

Jeremy Cotta Musical Background

I started playing music in elementary school. My first instrument was the saxophone. I eventually started playing bass in high school and joined a punk band with my friends. When I was in the punk band back in the day, trips to Guitar Center to get strings or a new cable always ended up the same--with me in the keyboard section ogling the synths. Later on, I started playing the guitar and started experimenting with pedals. The pedal boom got me hooked on the more oddball pedals from companies like Chase Bliss Audio and Hologram Electronics. I eventually made my way to synths.

I started listening to electronic music with my older brother when I was in elementary school. We were listening to compilation albums that Rhino Records put out, for example Street Jams: Electric Funk. We also picked up a couple of albums from Techmaster PEB. We were also listening to hip hop albums like Beastie Boys Licensed to Ill and Run DMC’s Tougher Than Leather on cassette! Those albums was hugely influential in shaping our musical taste.

https://m.soundcloud.com/jeremy-cotta

https://www.patreon.com/northbeats

Robert Keen is a Bay Area progressive house DJ and producer, who has been active in the scene since 2010. As a member of the Oakland based electro-indie group, Amnesia Cult, the Disco house duo, Ylang-Musk, and as a producer in his own right, he is nothing if not prolific. His solo work draws on influences from progressive house titans like Eric Prydz, Jeremy Olander, Guy J, Khen, and John Digweed, melding groovy bass lines with hooky instrumentals in a dark, driving style. His first offering of 2019 will be a 3 track EP produced under a new alias, Sentinel, expected in April. You can find more information and listen to his previous work here:

soundcloud.com/robertkeen

soundcloud.com/ylang-musk

soundcloud.com/amnesiacult

Richard Hogben’s music is purpose-built for the Hackaday conferences organized by Supplyframe. Whether for an announcement video or a break between conference speakers, the tracks only requirement are an electronic earworm quality. “I usually make one short piece that turns into three of four extended themes that can be used as needed.”

Influenced by 1990s electronica including Orbital, Underworld, and Aphex Twin, Richard was active throughout the early 2000s in Southern and Baja California designing flyers for friends events. “My roommate played and produced a lot of Techno and Tech House and I was usually ‘tech support’ so I had the software [Reason] on my computer.”

In 2014 Richard started at Supplyframe as a frontend engineer, previously having worked at other companies creating websites. He has produced music and performed for the Hackaday Superconference using a combination of Reason and Ableton Live. “Everyone at Supplyframe is very creative and passionate about everything they do, and I feel lucky to be able to take part in the Hackaday community events.”

https://soundcloud.com/richardhogben

Influenced by 1990s electronica including Orbital, Underworld, and Aphex Twin, Richard was active throughout the early 2000s in Southern and Baja California.

Robert Keen is a Bay Area progressive house DJ and producer, who has been active in the scene since 2010. As a member of the Oakland based electro-indie group, Amnesia Cult, the Disco house duo, Ylang-Musk, and as a producer in his own right, he is nothing if not prolific. His solo work draws on influences from progressive house titans like Eric Prydz, Jeremy Olander, Guy J, Khen, and John Digweed, melding groovy bass lines with hooky instrumentals in a dark, driving style. His first offering of 2019 will be a 3 track EP produced under a new alias, Sentinel, expected in April. You can find more information and listen to his previous work here:

soundcloud.com/robertkeen

soundcloud.com/ylang-musk

soundcloud.com/amnesiacult