Electronic Music

A tribute to the life and works of composer and synth pioneer Peter Zinovieff by James Gardner, featuring interviews with co-workers and collaborators.Chapters00:00 - Introduction01:04 - Collaborations04:13 - Replacing Tape With Digital06:29 - The Move Into Computers08:03 - The Launch of EMS14:31 - Running A Studio From Home16:16 - Working In Raasay18:19 - The VCS3 And Synthi20:05 - Copies And Virtual Versions22:50 - Creativity Post EMS26:49 - Lucy RailtonPeter Zinovieff BiogPeter Zinovieff has been described as Britain’s Bob Moog. A renowned composer from the mid ‘60s to the present day, he was one of the founders of EMS who produced seminal synthesizers such as the VCS3 and the Synthi AKS, as used by Brian Eno, Pink Floyd and the Chemical Brothers.Music CreditsPeter Zinovieff and Lucy Railton - RFG - Inventions for Cello and Computer - PAN Records PAN 90 (2020)Peter Zinovieff - Tarantella (1966)Peter Zinovieff - South Pacific Migration Party - The Association for Depth Sound Recordings ADSR010CD (2021)James Gardner BiogJames Gardner is a composer, synthesizer programmer, researcher, and broadcaster based in Auckland, New Zealand. Born in Liverpool, James played and programmed synthesizers in London during the 1980s, and in 1990 co-founded the band/remix team Apollo 440. Following encouragement from Michael Finnissy, he left the group in 1993 to concentrate on notated composition. Moving to New Zealand in 1994, he established the contemporary music ensemble 175 East, which he directed until 2010.As well as composing, he has written and presented many programmes for RNZ Concert including features on Frank Zappa, Morton Feldman, John Barry’s James Bond soundtracks, and These Hopeful Machines – a six-part series on electronic music. https://www.rnz.co.nz/concert/programmes/hopefulmachinesAs a teacher, Gardner has lectured on music and music technology at the University of Auckland, Unitec Institute of Technology and the University of Canterbury, Christchurch, where he is an Adjunct Senior Fellow. His primary research topic is the synthesizer company EMS, and the electronic music studio of Peter Zinovieff.Website: https://www.gardnercomposer.com/Twitter: @JEGcomposerhttps://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/organised-sound/article/don-banks-music-box-to-the-putney-the-genesis-and-development-of-the-vcs3-synthesiser/38928808A05A6F2118B148CE302E3764https://modular-station.com/modulisme/itatiom/ems-1/Catch more shows on our other podcast channels: https://www.soundonsound.com/sos-podcasts

Richard Norris tells Caro C about his early break into the music industry, success with The Grid in the 90s, plus his many collaborations, remixes and unexpected career turns.Chapters00:00 - Introduction01:34 - Defining Career Moments08:31 - The Gear Used By The Grid10:27 - Musical Trajectory20:35 - Favourite Equipment25:58 - Interesting Collaborations32:04 - Immersive Audio35:51 - Future ProjectsRichard Norris BiogRichard Norris has been recording, producing and releasing music for more than four decades. Richard started out in a post punk band, recording his first single at the age of 13, before diving into acid house as co-producer of Jack The Tab, one of the UK's first acid house compilations. He then formed The Grid with Soft Cell's Dave Ball, who went on to have 10 UK hit singles, including the Balearic classic Floatation and the million-selling Swamp Thing. He collaborated with Erol Alkan for the Beyond The Wizards Sleeve project and released two solo albums as the Time and Space Machine.Richard has remixed hundreds of artists including Brian Eno, David Sylvian, Pet Shop Boys, Yello, Erasure, Tame Impala, Warpaint and many more, plus has collaborated with Robert Fripp, Marc Almond, Joe Strummer, Sun Ra and a host of others. He is currently working on his Group Mind label, which releases ambient, electronic and deep listening music, as well as continuing his remix, production and live work. His memoir, Strange Things Are Happening, will be released in 2024.https://richardnorris.bandcamp.com/Caro C BiogDescribed as a "one-woman electronic avalanche" (BBC) and a "sonic enchantress" (BBC Radio 3), Caro has been making her own brand of sensual electronica since the late 90's, reared on a diet of black music, Warp Records and Bjork. Caro currently finds herself in ample musical mischief in the Manchester creative mycelium and beyond - making music, teaching, producing podcasts as well as being the instigator and project manager of electronic music charity Delia Derbyshire Day.URL: http://carocsound.com/Twitter: @carocsoundInst: @carocsoundFB: https://www.facebook.com/carocsound/Catch more shows on our other podcast channels: https://www.soundonsound.com/sos-podcasts

Chiara Luzzana is a Sound Designer and Composer, known for her use of Zoom field recorders. A personal project sampling Swatch watches eventually became the official Swatch theme which then led on to similar commissions from several global brands. Caro C talks to her about her journey into corporate sound design.Chapters00:00 - Introduction01:31 - Sound Artist And Soundtrack Composer02:58 - Working With Brands04:28 - Creating A Sensory Journey07:30 - Recording Skin08:40 - Getting Started In Sound Design11:28 - Studying In Shanghai12:33 - Learning To Listen15:52 - Musique Concrète16:55 - Production Techniques18:41 - Working With Zoom24:41 - Other Hardware and Software26:38 - Creating A Real-Time Soundtrack29:44 - The Lavazza Project34:42 - Working In Immersive Audio35:15 - Favourite Plug-ins37:27 - Future ProjectsChiara Luzzana BiogChiara Luzzana studied classical music as a child and later took a course in audio engineering specializing in musical cognition at Berklee College of Music. She started her career in cinema and advertising but in 2013 won an artistic residency in Shanghai.During this time she started a personal sound design project, gathering more than 2400 samples from Swatch watches and building a soundtrack, which would later become the official music of Swatch stores around the world and also of the Venice Biennale, a prestigious international cultural exhibition hosted in Venice, Italy.Following this success, Chiara has been invited to create soundtracks for a number of high profile brands.https://www.chiaraluzzana.com/Caro C BiogCaro C is an artist, engineer and teacher specialising in electronic music. Her self-produced fourth album "Electric Mountain" is out now. Described as a "one-woman electronic avalanche" (BBC), Caro started making music thanks to being laid up whilst living in a double decker bus and listening to the likes of Warp Records in the late 1990's. This "sonic enchantress" (BBC Radio 3) has now played in most of the cultural hotspots of her current hometown of Manchester, UK. Caro is also the instigator and project manager of electronic music charity Delia Derbyshire Day.URL: http://carocsound.com/Twitter: @carocsoundInst: @carocsoundFB: https://www.facebook.com/carocsound/Catch more shows on our other podcast channels: https://www.soundonsound.com/sos-podcasts

As part of Trevor Horn’s team of technological wizards in the 1980s, JJ Jeczalik emerged as the pre-eminent Fairlight programmer of the day, primarily as one fifth of the art-pop collective, Art of Noise, but also in projects ranging from ABC & Dollar to Yes and Malcolm McLaren. Describing himself as a not a keyboard player, JJ brought his programming skills and talent to bear on a wide range of successful and ground-breaking recordings that were at the vanguard of how cutting edge technology shaped not just the sound of pop music but how pop music itself was made.Chapters00:00 - Introduction00:59 - What was your path into the industry?09:47 - The importance of ABC and meeting Anne and Gary12:48 - Duck Rock and the McLaren Influence16:08 - Don’t be a drummer, be a programmer19:46 - You don’t say no to Yes26:44 - Yes embracing the Fairlight28:07 - The birth of Art of Noise33:49 - Into Battle!35:15 - In demand38:21 - The weight of influence46:23 - Taking Art of Noise on the road, then and nowPhoto Credit: Marc PinderArt of Noise Online: https://theartofnoiseonline.comArt of Silence: http://www.artofsilence.co.ukJJ Jeczalik BiogJonathan Edward Stephen Jeczalik fell into the music industry during a gap year whilst staying with friends in London. He promoted a gig by the group Landscape, featuring the similarly technology obsessed Richard James Burgess before eventually coming to the attention of Trevor Horn via his Buggles bandmate, Geoff Downes.During the 1980s, he worked on numerous projects that were both innovative and influential as well as hugely successful, including ABC’s Lexicon of Love, Malcolm McLaren’s Duck Rock, Yes’ 90125 and Frankie Goes to Hollywood’s debut, Welcome to the Pleasuredome. He also worked with artists ranging from Kate Bush to Paul McCartney, Scritti Politti to Godley & Creme and Pet Shop Boys to Shakin’ Stevens!JJ left the industry and became a teacher of ICT until his retirement but has since revived his music career, performing live under numerous variations of the Art of Noise name at venues such as the British Library and the hugely successful Let’s Rock 80s revival festivals.Rob Puricelli BiogRob Puricelli is a Music Technologist and Instructional Designer who has a healthy obsession with classic synthesizers and their history. In conjunction with former Fairlight Studio Manager, Peter Wielk, he fixes and restores Fairlight CMI’s so that they can enjoy prolonged and productive lives with new owners. He also writes reviews and articles for Sound On Sound, his own website, Failed Muso, and other music-related publications, as well as hosting a weekly livestream on YouTube for the Pro Synth Network and guesting on numerous music technology podcasts and shows. He also works alongside a number of manufacturers, demonstrating their products and lecturing at various educational and vocational establishments about music technology.www.failedmuso.comTwitter: @failedmusoInstagram: @failedmusoFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/failedmuso/Catch more shows on our other podcast channels: https://www.soundonsound.com/sos-podcasts

Hannah Peel, composer, producer and broadcaster, talks to Caro C about her solo record career including the shortlisted 2021 Mercury Music Prize electronic album, scoring music for Game Of Thrones and her many other diverse projects.Chapters00:00 - Introduction01:45 - Musical Path06:48 - Using Electronic Instruments07:55 - Favourite Synths09:14 - Software and Hardware10:08 - Projects and Nominations14:10 - The Mercury Nomination15:31 - Performing Live17:23 - Combining Electronica And Orchestral20:28 - Composing For The Paraorchestra22:33 - Working With Software and Live Musicians26:48 - Favourite Tools29:27 - Combining Film and TV Work With Album Releases33:15 - The Composing Process39:31 - Learning Production SkillsHannah Peel BiogHannah Peel is a Northern Irish artist, composer, producer and broadcaster. Her solo record career includes the shortlisted 2021 Mercury Music Prize electronic album, Fir Wave; 2016's Awake But Always Dreaming, which became an ode to her grandmother’s mind as she lived with dementia; and the space-themed Mary Casio: Journey to Cassiopeia, scored for synthesizers and a 30 piece colliery brass band. A regular collaborator with Paul Weller, in 2018 she conducted and wrote all the orchestral arrangements for his shows at London's Royal Festival Hall and contributed to his Number 1 album, On Sunset.Following her Emmy-nominated score for Game Of Thrones: The Last Watch, Hannah is currently composing the music for Sky TV's 7-part series Midwich Cuckoos and releasing a new album The Unfolding with Paraorchestra. She is also a regular presenter on the BBC Radio 3 show, Night Tracks.www.hannahpeel.comCaro C BiogCaro C is an artist, engineer and teacher specialising in electronic music. Her self-produced fourth album "Electric Mountain" is out now. Described as a "one-woman electronic avalanche" (BBC), Caro started making music thanks to being laid up whilst living in a double decker bus and listening to the likes of Warp Records in the late 1990's. This "sonic enchantress" (BBC Radio 3) has now played in most of the cultural hotspots of her current hometown of Manchester, UK. Caro is also the instigator and project manager of electronic music charity Delia Derbyshire Day.URL: http://carocsound.com/Twitter: @carocsoundInst: @carocsoundFB: https://www.facebook.com/carocsound/Catch more shows on our other podcast channels: https://www.soundonsound.com/sos-podcasts

Matt Johnson has emerged as one of the most talented and prolific keyboard players of the last 20 years, mostly as part of the legendary Jamiroquai, in which he both writes and performs, and more recently as a YouTube channel host where he demonstrates this love of modern and vintage synths.Chapters00:00 - Introduction00:37 - How did you get your first big break? 02:34 - Was joining Jamiroquai daunting?03:20 - What was your keyboard rig in those early days? 04:11 - Are workstations an important part of your rig? 04:55 - How did you get to write with Jay Kay?07:27 - What are you up to outside of Jamiroquai? 08:41 - What’s your rig in 2022? 11:23 - Dream gigs 12:58 - The YouTube explosion 18:20 - What new synths have stood out to you in recent years? 24:06 - What would you like to see happen in synthesizer technology next?27:24 - Matt’s home studio 31:48 - Sound designAll music composed and performed by Matt Johnson © Matt Johnson MusicMatt Johnson BiogFor the last 20 years Matt has been the keyboard player for Jamiroquai, co-writing most of the band's output during that time and co- producing the last album ‘Automaton’.In between working with the band he has recorded as a session player with numerous artists in many genres including Duffy, Ashanti, J.P.Cooper, Jax Jones, S.G.Lewis, Purple Disco Machine, Newton Faulkner, Nolwenn Leroy, Will Young and many more.Now Matt has released his debut solo record ‘With the Music’ under the Splash Blue label, with a retro Jazz Funk feel.https://www.mattjohnsonproducer.com/Rob Puricelli BiogRob Puricelli is a Music Technologist and Instructional Designer who has a healthy obsession with classic synthesizers and their history. In conjunction with former Fairlight Studio Manager, Peter Wielk, he fixes and restores Fairlight CMI’s so that they can enjoy prolonged and productive lives with new owners. He also writes reviews and articles for his website, failedmuso.com, and other music-related publications, as well as hosting a weekly livestream on YouTube for the Pro Synth Network and guesting on numerous music technology podcasts and shows. He also works alongside a number of manufacturers, demonstrating their products and lecturing at various educational and vocational establishments about music technology.www.failedmuso.comTwitter: @failedmusoInstagram: @failedmusoFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/failedmuso/Catch more shows on our other podcast channels: https://www.soundonsound.com/sos-podcasts

Describing herself as a composer, musician and robotic artist, Ivor Novello award winning artist Sarah Angliss talks to Caro C about her route into Electronic Music and how she utilises sub-frequencies, robotics and her own effects in her compositions and live performances.Chapters00:00 - Introduction01:30 - Classical And Folk Beginnings00:00 - Discovering Electronic Music07:52 - Studying Infrasound12:26 - The Brown Note14:40 - Augmenting Acoustic Sounds17:46 - Using The Theremin As A Controller19:28 - The Bela Board20:48 - Using Robotics In Performances 26:20 - The Science Museum and Daphne Oram30:05 - Radio 4 And Echo 33:58 - Current Projects35:28 - Working With SynthesizersSarah Angliss BiogSarah Angliss is an Ivor Novello Award winning composer, performer and robotic artist working in television, film, on the live concert stage and in theatres across Europe and North America. Her recent work includes the music for Romola Garai’s feature film Amulet - a terse, electroacoustic score which explores the sonorities of voices and ancient instruments, revealing and augmenting them with Sarah’s distinctive digital and electronic techniques. Sarah’s music draws on her lifelong interest in European folksong, cybernetics and esoteric sound culture. These inspire her progressive and strikingly original music. Her work reflects an eclectic musical background. A classically-trained composer who specialised in baroque and renaissance music, Sarah cut her teeth performing on the UK folk scene. Her desire to get inside notes and finely manipulate sound then build her own automatic music machines led her to study electroacoustic engineering, then robotics, alongside music – fields that continue to inform her unique compositional style. Sarah received the Visionary Award from the Ivors Academy in 2021 and a Paul Hamlyn Award for Composers in 2018.Website: www.sarahangliss.comSoundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/sarahanglissTwitter: @sarah_anglissInstagram: @sarah_anglissCaro C BiogCaro C is an artist, engineer and teacher specialising in electronic music. Her self-produced fourth album "Electric Mountain" is out now. Described as a "one-woman electronic avalanche" (BBC), Caro started making music thanks to being laid up whilst living in a double decker bus and listening to the likes of Warp Records in the late 1990's. This "sonic enchantress" (BBC Radio 3) has now played in most of the cultural hotspots of her current hometown of Manchester, UK. Caro is also the instigator and project manager of electronic music charity Delia Derbyshire Day.URL: http://carocsound.com/Twitter: @carocsoundInst: @carocsoundFB: https://www.facebook.com/carocsound/Catch more shows on our other podcast channels: https://www.soundonsound.com/sos-podcasts

Zoë Blade and Nina Richards talk about their individual music careers and how they came together to create the Stepper Acid Eurorack Sequencer.Chapters00:00 - Introduction01:18 - Composing For Patreon and YouTube03:04 - Chiptunes05:47 - Patreon Supporters06:59 - Developing A Sound11:00 - Working With Older Machines 13:39 - Expanding The Synth Collection17:02 - Demosceners / Trackers22:26 - Working With Nina24:14 - Creating The Stepper Acid Sequencer 30:55 - The Drum Machine32:23 - Customers And The Manufacturing Process 38:02 - Using Stepper Acid Live 41:21 - Future PlansZoë Blade BiogAs a teenager, Zoë Blade sampled household objects into Impulse Tracker, twisting them into rhythmic alien soundscapes.  Not quite music, but not quite not, the result was a bizarre example of outsider art.She's since honed her aesthetic into something more polished but no less unique, fusing catchy melodies and rhythms with the untamed sound of her sprawling modular synthezisers.She's currently making music for popular YouTube series ContraPoints, as well as her patrons at patreon.com/zoeblademusic and is also involved with Nina in the Transistor Sounds Labs company.https://www.zoeblade.com/Nina Richards BiogNina Richards is the kind of musician who always likes to dive a level deeper.  Always looking to improve the tools available, she designed and built Stepper Acid, a modular sequencer loosely based on the TB-303, but geared more towards live performance.This was well received by other musicians too, and has been used by the likes of Nine Inch Nails's Trent Reznor and Underworld's Rick Smith.The product is marketed through her Transistor Sounds Labs company.In addition to her solo work, Nina is also known for writing music for actress Abigail Thorn's YouTube channel Philosophy Tube.https://www.ninarichards.co.uk/Stepper AcidStepper Acid is a 16-step Eurorack sequencer module designed with live performance in mind, designed and built as a collaboration between Nina Richards and Zoë Blade.https://www.transistorsoundslabs.comCaro C BiogCaro C is an artist, engineer and teacher specialising in electronic music. Her self-produced fourth album "Electric Mountain" is out now. Described as a "one-woman electronic avalanche" (BBC), Caro started making music thanks to being laid up whilst living in a double decker bus and listening to the likes of Warp Records in the late 1990's. This "sonic enchantress" (BBC Radio 3) has now played in most of the cultural hotspots of her current hometown of Manchester, UK. Caro is also the instigator and project manager of electronic music charity Delia Derbyshire Day.URL: http://carocsound.com/Twitter: @carocsoundInst: @carocsoundFB: https://www.facebook.com/carocsound/Catch more shows on our other podcast channels: https://www.soundonsound.com/sos-podcasts

J. Willgoose Esquire, founding member of alternative band Public Service Broadcasting, talks to Caro C about the origins of the band and the surprise success they've enjoyed. He details his recording methods, choice of equipment and the technical challenges of performing live.Chapters00:00 - Introduction01:35 - How Public Service Broadcasting Began03:48 - Sharing Voices From The Past05:19 - Musical Equipment Used06:50 - Inspired By Analogue Instruments08:39 - Composition Methods10:12 - Deckard's Dream Synth11:56 - Mixing 200 Tracks12:56 - Using Featured Vocalists16:54 - Additional Audio Elements20:41 - Editing The Samples22:16 - Intellectual Property25:39 - Performing Live31:00 - Accompanying Visuals33:22 - Tech Support In The SOS ForumPublic Service Broadcasting BiogPublic Service Broadcasting is an award-winning London-based group founded by J. Willgoose, Esq. The band are known for using archival samples from the British Film Institute to create concept albums around the Battle Of Britain, Everest and the British coal industry. Their second album, The Race for Space, was supported by two shows at the National Space Centre in Leicester and the album charted at number 11 in the UK, reaching Number 1 in the UK Independent Charts. Their third release, Every Valley (with James Dean Bradfield of Manic Street Preachers) reached number 4 on the UK charts. Their recently released fourth album, Bright Magic, was recorded at the Hansa Tonstudio in Berlin.PSB perform live using a wide range of both electric and electronic instruments and samples. They have toured internationally, appeared at the BBC Music "Big Weekend" and in a late-night Prom in 2019 joined by London Contemporary Voices and the Multi-Story Orchestra, televised by the BBC the following evening.https://www.publicservicebroadcasting.net/Caro C BiogCaro C is an artist, engineer and teacher specialising in electronic music. Her self-produced fourth album "Electric Mountain" is out now. Described as a "one-woman electronic avalanche" (BBC), Caro started making music thanks to being laid up whilst living in a double decker bus and listening to the likes of Warp Records in the late 1990's. This "sonic enchantress" (BBC Radio 3) has now played in most of the cultural hotspots of her current hometown of Manchester, UK. Caro is also the instigator and project manager of electronic music charity Delia Derbyshire Day.URL: http://carocsound.com/Twitter: @carocsoundInst: @carocsoundFB: https://www.facebook.com/carocsound/Catch more shows on our other podcast channels: https://www.soundonsound.com/sos-podcasts

Synth Gems 1 is the first Bjooks publication to be authored by their Editor-in-Chief, Dr Mike Metlay, and sets out to document, both visually and in words, some of the most incredible keyboard synthesizers ever made. Using strict selection criteria, Mike, Kim Bjørn and the team have curated a collection of instruments that are pioneering and rare, influential and impactful and, above all, gorgeous to look at. In this podcast, I wanted to dig into that selection process, find out what it took to document these instruments and ask how this book came into existence, so I began by asking Mike where the inspiration for this book came from...Chapters00:00 - Introduction01:00 - What was the inspiration for this book?03:12 - What was the process of whittling your list down?07:24 - Why no modular synths?09:59 - Were there any synths that you wanted but couldn’t find decent examples of?12:24 - How did you check and verify your accuracy?20:06 - How did you come up with the essay format?22:56 - What challenges did you face when photographing the synths featured?28:40 - What prompted the inclusion of an introduction to synthesizers?37:24 - Which is the one instrument in this book you HAD to have in there?43:36 - Did you ever consider including audio examples?45:17 - Can you offer any insights into what may appear in Synth Gems 2?Mike Metlay Biog After attaining a Ph.D in Nuclear Structure Physics, and eschewing a career in that most technical of scientific fields, Dr Mike Metlay worked for ‘Recording, The Magazine for the Recording Musician’, for over 20 years, the last five of which were as Editor. It allowed him to indulge in his passion for electronic music, and the making of it, through many mediums such as writing, creating and performing. This eventually led him to become Editor-in-Chief at Bjooks, a highly-respected publishing house specialising in luxurious and detailed tomes on the subjects of synthesizers and music technology. https://bjooks.comhttps://bjooks.com/products/synth-gems-1-exploring-vintage-synthesizershttps://www.mrspiral.com Rob Puricelli Biog Rob Puricelli is a Music Technologist and Instructional Designer who has a healthy obsession with classic synthesizers and their history. In conjunction with former Fairlight Studio Manager, Peter Wielk, he fixes and restores Fairlight CMIs so that they can enjoy prolonged and productive lives with new owners. He also writes reviews and articles for his website, failedmuso.com, and other music-related publications, as well as hosting a weekly livestream on YouTube for the Pro Synth Network and guesting on numerous music technology podcasts and shows. He also works alongside a number of manufacturers, demonstrating their products and lecturing at various educational and vocational establishments about music technology. www.failedmuso.comhttps://www.youtube.com/c/prosynthnetworkTwitter: @failedmusoInstagram: @failedmusoFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/failedmuso/Catch more shows on our other podcast channels: https://www.soundonsound.com/sos-podcasts