The Residents

I just have to post a link to this video here every now and then, and I just realised I haven't since I switched language on the blog.

House of the future from 1957

Futuristic visions from the fifties with a totally fifties vision of gender and family. From an era when plastic is still something to be amazed about. Mad Men in space ...

Elektro the robot

Another astonishing wonder from the New York World's Fair of 1939 when robots was all the rage. "I am Elektro!"

The VODER

The first electrical speech synthesizer the VODER (as featured in the book "How to wreck a nice beach") in a clip from 1939.

1950's sequencing

Apparently sequencers were available way back in the 1950's. According to comments on youtube this is a part of the RCA synthesizer, though mark I or II I don't know.

Batman's big screen debut

In this era of glossy, successful movie adaptions of the Dark Knight's adventures it's sobering to have a look at the caped crusaders debut on the silver screen. Form molded body armour seems to be one of the major achievements of mankind since 1943.

Ricardo Donoso "Assimilating the Shadow"

About a year ago I bought Ricardo Donoso's solo debut on Digitalis "Progress Chance". At first I must say I wasn't all that impressed. The compositions seemed both structurally and sonically a little to simplistic to me at the time. But it turned out this was an album that grew on repeated listens, and come the end of 2011 and Donoso's album was easily among my personal top 10 favorites of the year. The slow progressing arpeggios and gated rhythms had me captivated and every time I listened I seemed to find more. This was definitely a very skillfully crafted record.

So when Donoso's next album under his own name on Digitalis was announced I couldn't wait to get a chance to listen to it, and as soon as the download was released I bought it. Unlike with his first album last year, this time my expectations were very high. I started to listen, and immediately I was impressed. This seemed like a more fully evolved version of the first album. Both structures and sonics were much more elaborate. I was hooked at once. But this somehow had me worried. Because most albums I like right away, I tend to get tired of fairly soon. So I decided to wait a bit until I wrote anything about it on the blog.

Luckily this turned out to be one of the few times an album that had me at once, stood the test of repeated listens. I've hardly listened to anything else for a week and a half, and I still want more, still feel there is so much more to discover in there, in the world Donoso has created that is "Assimilating the Shadow".


As I've already touched upon, this is a much more evolved work than "Progress Chance". Donoso excels in adding new layers of complexity to the arpeggios, and soundwise this album show's a much broader spectrum of frequencies. I find myself thinking of Klaus Schulze quite a lot, even if this is a much more contemporary sounding affair, with a lot of nods to modern electronic music. Anyway, I don't doubt "Assimilating the Shadow" will make my personal top 10 this year. Absolutely stunning stuff!

Bon Harris on Reason

Stumbled on this old video of Bon Harris showing how he uses Reason in his productions. Apparently he used it quite a bit on Industrial Complex.

Buck Rogers

Buster Crabbe did three serials as Flash Gordon in the 1930's. All of them are readily available on dvd. Somewhat harder to get hold of is his stint as Buck Rogers, some four decades before Gil Gerard took on the lead in Buck Rogers in the 25th Century. Apparently "reversing polarity" isn't a techno babble term invented by Jon Pertwee after all.

 

Gakken MyKit Junior

Picked up a Gakken MyKit Junior electronic project kit for 10 SEK (roughly 1 GBP) at a flea market for kids yesterday. Had a little time to rig it up and check it today. Managed to build two variations on a simple oscillator in under ten minutes. Hooked it up to the Korg Monotron as a speaker. Took some photographs, will try to make a recording eventually.

PPG Wavegenerator app updated

Wolfgang Palm has updated his Wavegenerator app. The following is contained in the latest version: • Audio recorder, up to 10 min. at 44.1 stereo • Audio Copy to the pasteboard • File Sharing via iTunes • Keyboard octave shifting • More routing possibilitys - enabling ringmod and more • Updated factory presets • Bug fixes A quick check seems to indicate there still trouble with the Coremidi functions though. When I open up Little Midi Machine for examples it makes Wavegenerator crash. (In the first version of Wavegenerator this didn't happen, but WG did crash when trying to access it's midi settings.) I hope Wolfgang will try to fix these issues, since it's such an interesting synth app.

MFB-522 vs TR-808

More and more realizing I need a proper analogue drum machine (since the Monotribe does have it's limitations) I have been sizing up the competition. Leaning heavily towards an MFB-522, since it's basically the only decent thing I can afford (and it's small and portable). This shoot out between the 522 and it's more famous role model hasn't turned me off the prospect of getting one of these.

Front 242 "Headhunter"

Front 242 was always very keen on projecting a hard, menacing image on stage. Funny that they didn't seem at all as self conscious when it came to videos. Like in this one from 1988's classic "Headhunter".

Girl U Want

Today is Devo day it seems.

Secret Agent Man

Devo in brilliantly screwed up video.

Modulations documentary

Documentary that tries to describe all electronic music. Not bad, but sometimes makes you wonder if it wouldn't have benefitted from a slightly narrower focus. Well worth the watch anyway. Don't miss a look at Jack Dangers studio at around 24 minutes.

The Fairlight CMI in Radiophonic use

The wonders of electronic music making presented with the help of a Fairlight CMI to a bunch of not overly enthusiastic kids. Had they known the cost of those boxes they might have been more impressed. Wonder if this is the same CMI that's on display at the Science Museum's Oramics exhibition?

Dick Mills and Brian Hodgson at the Workshop

Documentary clip from 1979 takes a look behind the scenes at the Radiophonic Workshop. Lot's of craving creating gear pictures in there.

Vintage Laibach

Old video to Laibachs "Drzava" (The State) from their debut album from 1984. Kind of figures the Slobodan Milosevic and the rest of the communist elite didn't know what to do about these guys ... except to ban them. For once, in the end, the avant garde was victorious.

I Staggered Mentally

Mojo recently run a feature on the 50 best electronic records of all time. Most on the list were good stuff I have to admit, but there were a few blatant omissions I think. Not from the perspective of "importance" which I sometimes felt the Mojo list focused on, but from the perspective of overall goodness. One such album that I keep coming back to and that would definitely make my top 50 list is Portion Control first album proper: "I Staggered Mentally". It's quite timeless in all it's harsh minimalism and blunt rejection of traditional song structure. Because of this it has aged with style, feeling even more contemporary now than ever.

I can remember seeing the album sold for ridiculous amounts at record fair when I was a teen, when I couldn't afford it. Had I got hold of it then I probably wouldn't have been able to makes heads or tails out of it. When I first got hold of it on cd, in the Archive box set I didn't really understand it at first, but when I got it on vinyl in the Progress Report box set,it all finally made sense. It's probably the work by PC I most frequently return to (along with some of the other material on the vinyl box set). Portion Control should really be mentioned along other industrial electronic pioneers such Throbbing Gristle and Cabaret Voltaire, along with "20 Jazz Funk Greats" and "The Voice of America" it is one of the defining moments of the genre.

Thought Broadcast

Been listening to Thought Broadcast "Emergency Stairway" all day. Bought it this morning. It's TB's second full length release in a couple of months and the first one on the venerable Editions Mego. Rusty, murky industrial electronics in the style of TG, early Cabs and Maurizio Bianchi, in other words, right up my alley. Modern references inevitably brings up Ekoplekz, but TB seem to be on a darker more brooding journey than Nick Edwards. All beats and noises is heard through a filter of decay and age. It has been said (by Boomkat editorial I think) that if Vinyl on Demand had released this as something that was originally made in 1979, it would have easily fooled most of us. It seems the neo-industrial dubbed out wave is stronger than ever, with Editions Mego at the epicentre of it all with this and Nick Edwards "Plekzationz" last week.
Read full review of Emergency Stairway - Thought Broadcast on Boomkat.com ©

Vinyl afternoon

Been spending the better part of the afternoon with my Rega player hooked up to the speakers for once. Been listening to the british compilation version of the first two Kraftwerk albums and the Portion Control Progress Report box set from Vinyl on demand. Early Portion Control has to be one of the most ahead of their time acts. Utterly timeless and wonderful. These guys should be held in the same regard as Throbbing Gristle and Cabaret Voltaire.

Cabaret Voltaire

The Cabs live on Spanish TV in 1983. Slightly too good picture quality ... But wonderful audio. And check out Richard H Kirks Juno-6 (or is it a 60) and tape recorder.

More RE session snippets

My machines have been running hot today. Here's two other improvs for forthcoming bandcamp ep: Radikal Elektronik - Kroton Circus by AB Lundberg Radikal Elektronik - Kroton Acid 2 by AB Lundberg

New Radikal Elektronik sessions

Working on new material for my Radikal Elektronik-moniker. This dub acid improv came out of me testing tv cv/gate capabilities of the Novation Super Bass Station. Turns out it works better with a more powerful power supply. Drums from the Monotribe, lead synth from the modular and dubby effects from the Mini KP2. Radikal Elektronik - Auton Acid by AB Lundberg

Public Information

One of the most interesting labels out there at the moment is certainly Public Information in Yorkshire. Their F.C. Judd compilation is stunning as well as their Ekoplekz "Dromilly Vale" EP from this spring. Really keen to see what's coming next.

The New Sound of Music

BBC documentary on electronic music from 1979. Starring the Doctor Who theme, radiophonic methods etc.

Kraftwerk in italian

Clip from italian tv from 1981 with Kraftwerk performing the Italian version of Pocket Calculator. The contrast between the crazeee italian presenter in his slipover and the fabulous four couldn't be starker. This is the stuff legends are made of ... or not.

Documentary of Synthesizer Museum

Quite lovely documentary with lot's of fantastic vintage synthesizer gear. Quite low budget production and vintage haircuts, but that only adds to the charm. The huge Analogue Systems dates this to mid 90's?

New Korg stuff

Well Korgs major announcement seems to be a new mid-priced workstation, Krome, and a new version of the MicroKorg XL, plus a bunch of limited edition colors of the MicroKorg range. Why is it manufacturers think we care about which color the synth is in? How many people have honestly been waiting ten years and now when the MicroKorg becomes available with black and red reversed keys will think: "Yeah, that's it! That's what I've been waiting for." Or: "Oh, finally. I can add a new color to my collection of limited edition MicroKorgs" ... This must really be the most unimpressing major announcement in a while. Come on Korg, give us what we all want: a MicroTron, for frigs sake.

Acidlab's modular adventures

German synth manufacturer Acidlab, that previously makes the Bassline TB-303 clone and the Miami TR-808 clone, are releasing modular versions of their 303-line. Their M303-module looks mighty interesting, and if you pair it up with their 303 VCO you get a 2 oscillator 303-voice. Would love to try that with my Analogue Solutions Europa as sequencer.

MFB launches mkII-versions

MFB Berlin will soon launch new versions of their Urzwerg Pro sequencer and Microzwerg synthesizer in new sturdier cases with stylish wood ends. There's also a Kraftzwerg 2 coming out but wether this will feature the new case type is unclear.

Vintage documentary on electronic music

A view on electronic music from 1983. Electronic jazz, indeed.

Bebe Barron

An interview with one of the true pioneers of electronic music. The soundtrack for Forbidden Planet is amazingly timeless when you listen to it today.

Nick Edwards "Plekzationz"

Nick Edwwards first record under his own name is out today on Editions Mego. Four long form tracks with a slightly more, I hesitate to say widescreen feel, but somehow this feels like the theatrical version of Ekoplekz. The full blown all out experience of Edwards exploring his machines, in an electronic tribute to his musical roots, be it Cabaret Voltaire (as in "(No) Escape from '79") or more radiophonic/early electronics as on some of the other tracks. Anyway it's a simply astounding record that lives up to my expectations at least. The long form really suits Edwards, as on the Ensemble Skalectrik download on Bandcamp from earlier this year.
Read full review of Plekzationz - Nick Edwards (Ekoplekz) on Boomkat.com ©

Ekoplekz

Interesting clip of Nick Edwards live on radio. Not the best shot video I've seen, but interesting nonetheless. Don't miss Edwards new album, released tomorrow on Editions Mego, by the way.

Vintage Alan with vintage sampler

Slightly rockabilly styled Alan Wilder explains what a sampler is back in the days.

Alan Wilder demos sampler

Wonderfully nostalgic clip with Mr Wilder demoing samples on the EMU Emax he used on the Devotional tour with Depeche Mode. Some fun facts in there about liver versions of "Pipeline" etc.

Vintage Vince Clark giving synthesizer lessons

Just got to love this. Vintage Vince and his vintage gear, but I guess it was state of the art when this was filmed. If you want more contemporary and much more consciously funny lessons from the man check out his Analogue Monologues at the Cabin Studio.

New album by AB Lundberg

Today I released a new album on bandcamp. It contains ten tracks I recorded during August 2012. The genre could probably best be described as industrial ambient, or industrial chill out as I prefer, although there are a few tracks that has a slightly more rhythmic and aggressive edge. The theme is a roman town in the south of England. Stream for free or pay what you want to download on bandcamp.

Doctor Who

The new seventh season of Doctor Who finally premiers on BBC tonight. Man, why couldn't they have premiered in march as normal, when I was actually living in the UK for a while. Anyway, looking forward to the eventual dvd release.