Neanderthal Electronics 2011 @ NK Berlin

Wednesday 23 February 2011 – Sunday 27 February 2011, 12:00-19:00 daily.

This 5 day workshop is designed for up to 12 people, possibly with a background in sound, but with no previous electronics experience. They are shown how to use simple objects from our modern environment (resistors, capacitors, transistors, LEDs, integrated circuit chips…) to design and build their own personal, customized primitive noise synthesizers. Each is a tiny world of its own, using primitive analog computers in combination with feedback, sensors and audio inputs to create a unique sound. Even from the same plan, no two are alike!

Participants are encouraged to use found materials for the construction of their personal instrument, with an emphasis on discovering creative and physical methods of controlling them.

The workshop will conclude with a group performance at Experimontag @ Madame Claude on Monday 28 February and an invitation to the audience to experiment with each of the instruments which have been created. Previous Neanderthal Electronics workshop participants are welcome to join this performance with their own instruments, please contact “MACUMBISTA at_the_domain GMAIL.COM” directly to arrange.

More info and videos from previous workshops can be found here:
http://macumbista.net/?page_id=497

Participation is limited to 12 participants.
Registration: Pre-registration is required and can be done by sending an email to info@nkprojekt.de

DATES: 23-27 February 12:00-19:00 / Presentation 28 February 21:00 (Madame Claude)

FEE: EUR 120 including materials, with a deposit of EUR 27 to be paid beforehand.

LOCATION: NK, Elsenstr. 52/2.Hinterhaus Etage 2, 12059 Berlin Neukölln/MADAME CLAUDE, Lübbener Str.19, 10997 Berlin Kreuzberg

About the Instructor

Derek Holzer (1972) is an American sound artist living in Berlin, whose current interests include DIY analog electronics, sound art, field recording and the meeting points of electroacoustic, noise, improv and extreme music. He has played live experimental sound, as well as taught workshops in noise art technology, across Europe, North America, Brazil and New Zealand.

PARTICIPANT INFO

WHAT TO BRING

I will provide most of the tools and materials necessary for constructing your Neanderthal synthesizers, however there are a few things you should bring yourself:

1) A Box (REQUIRED): This should be made of thin wood or cardboard. Plastic can also be used, but it doesn’t sound very good, and metal is too difficult to cut and drill with the tools we will have. This box should be a minimum of 10x10x3cm, or bigger if you want to use a larger speaker or have more room to decorate and add objects. Cigar boxes, small suitcases, instrument cases or jewelry/silverware boxes are all good things to look for. At least one side of the box should be no more than 4mm thick, to allow the potentiometers, switches, knobs and jacks to be mounted.

2) A speaker (OPTIONAL): I will provide a selection of speakers ranging from approximately 6-12cm diameter. If you want to use a larger one, you’ll have to provide it yourself. Besides buying one, you can salvage one from old hi-fi systems or portable stereos.

3) Decorative materials/sonic objects (REQUIRED): Please bring as many found objects as you can to decorate your soundbox or use as a sound source via the contact microphone. Photographs, cloth, leather, paper or any other kind of material can be useful for covering the box and making collages. Bones, shells, small sticks, bells, springs, strings, wires or anything else made out of solid yet resonant material make great sound sources. Paint, markers and pens may also be useful.

WHERE TO FIND THINGS

–Weekend flea markets at Mauerpark, Arkonaplatz, Schlesisches strasse, Boxhagenerplatz, the canal in Kreuzberg and the Obi parking lot near Templehof
–Your local Humana or other second hand shops
–Conrad.de at Hermannplatz (expensive!)
–Modulor.de near Südstern (architect/designer supply shop)

FURTHER INSPIRATION

Please check the videos from previous workshops here:

http://macumbista.net/?page_id=497

Some graphical inspiration from participants of Tore “Origami” Boe’s 2009 Acoustic Laptop workshop:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/41681117@N05/

More advanced inspiration can be found by browsing the incredible selection of instruments on the Folktek website:

http://folktek.com/instruments

Regenwald 2011: a workshop/installation/performance in the spirit of David Tudor

with Derek Holzer (USA/DE) & Mads Bech Paluszewski (DK)

*Overview*

Regenwald 2011 is a contemporary re-interpretation of David Tudor’s series of compositions from the 1970′s entitled “Rainforest”. It uses various types of sonic transducers to play live sounds through various resonant objects in the performance space, as well as through architectural features of the space itself. Additionally, an 8×8 matrix mixer allows the sound from any of the objects to be sent to any of the performers, making the whole piece an experiment in generative chaos.

Regenwald 2011 will be developed in a workshop format with up to 8 participants over a period of several days. The resulting work should shift between relatively static installation-like moments and performative sections where the artists seek new relationships with the objects and each other. The audience is free to move around the performance space, engage in conversations and explore the resonant objects, thus adding new life to the rainforest.

A opening night presentation will introduce the concept of Regenwald 2011 and the context of “Schematic as Score” as seen in the works of both David Tudor and John Cage.

*Documentation*

A rough schematic of a previous transducer system (Regenskog 2010) can be seen here:
http://macumbista.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/regnskog_notext.png

Documentation of Regenskog 2010 can be found here:
http://macumbista.net/?p=1840

*Dates*

28 January – 01 February, 12:00-19:00 daily: Regenwald 2011 workshop in West Germany, Kottbusser Tor, Berlin

01 February 21:00 opening Regenwald 2011 presentation/performance, West Germany, Kottbusser Tor, Berlin

02 February – 05 February 18-22:00 daily: Regenwald 2011 installation, West Germany, Kottbusser Tor, Berlin

*Participate*

The Regenwald 2011 workshop is open for 8 participants who will be selected and notified on or before 16 January 2011. There is no fee to participate. Applying participants should be:

–Comfortable working in a collaborative environment
–Knowledgeable in the basics of acoustics
–Proficient in one or more chosen analog or digital sound instruments and/or systems for working with sound
–Capable of bringing any equipment they require beyond the basics of the transducer system (instruments, mixers, computers, etc etc)

Please send an email to regenwald2011@clubtransmediale.de by 12 January with the following information:

–Name, location and short bio (max 100 words)
–Short statement of interest (max 300 words)
–Short description of your chosen instrument or system (max 300 words)
–Links to audio/video documentation of one solo work and one collaborative work you have made

*Workshop Leaders*

Derek Holzer (1972) is an American sound artist living in Berlin, whose current interests include DIY analog electronics, sound art, field recording and the meeting points of electroacoustic, noise, improv and extreme music. He has played live experimental sound, as well as taught workshops in noise art technology, across Europe, North America, Brazil and New Zealand.
http://www.macumbista.net

Danish sound artist and cultural producer Mads Bech Paluszewski (1977) works with circuit bending, sound installations, tactile acoustics and performances from his Copenhagen base. Solo and as a member of several groups of experimental audio/visual music and performance groups, he has performed at many Nordic music and sound art festivals. He has also held several workshops in circuit bending and user driven sound installations in Denmark.

*Partners*

Regenwald is a join production of DISK/Club Transmediale and Tuned City/DOCK e.V.
http://www.clubtransmediale.de
http://www.tunedcity.net

From all those sweaters, you should get a pretty good idea just how cold it is here in Berlin right now! Photos by Julien Percy (NK) and Kyd Campbell (TinyNoise), video by Cy Lixe. Thanks to all the participants, it was awesome!

Now Playing

daniel higgs–live in berlin[29.11.10 madame claude/experimontag]
deathspell omega–paracletus[2010 season of mist]
kiss the anus of a black cat–hewers of wood and drawers of water[2010 zeal]
wolves in the throne room–live in berlin[24.11.10 cassiopeia]
woven hand–the threshingfloor[2010 glitterhouse]

Just finished this schematic and stripboard layout for tomorrow’s Neanderthal Electronics workshop at NK Project Berlin. This is a new approach to the NE concept, called simply SoundBoxes which you can read about here. Hoping to do more in the future, as well as making my own unique ones.

The circuit itself is quite simple. Take the reverse-engineered design of one very expensive boutique guitar pedal, slim it down a bit and run it through a half-watt amplifier into a speaker. It’s an unpredictable little monster, which I like best while feeding it’s own signal back to itself via a contact mic and any loose junk that happens to be within reach. Chaotic magic in the works, microcosms in the making…

ACHTUNG! Double check the pin orientation of the Germanium PNP transistors! I can sure for sure that at least the 2N404 is wrong, which may account for several failed builds during workshops. I will update the artwork eventually. Until then… Google is your friend.

All artwork draw by myself with help from these sources:
freestompboxes
solgrind
La Revolution Deux

Now Playing

crippled black phoenix–i, vigilante[2010 invada]
kevin drumm & tom smith–reconquer sleep or disappear[2010 savage land]
tindersticks–falling down a mountain[2010 4ad]

Regnskog Bergen 2010 from macumbista on Vimeo.

Regnskog is a contemporary re-interpretation of David Tudor’s series of compositions from the 1970’s entitled Rainforest. It uses various types of sonic transducers to play live sounds through the assortment of resonant metal objects suspended by wires in the performance space. Additionally, an 8×8 matrix mixer allows the sound from any of the objects to be sent to any of the performers, making the whole piece an experiment in generative chaos.

The structure of the piece is improvisational, shifting between relatively static installation-like moments and performative sections where the artists seek new relationships with the objects and each other. The audience is free to move around the performance space, engage in conversations and explore the resonant objects, thus adding new life to the rainforest.

The performers: Harald Fetveit (Oslo), Gisle Frøysland (Bergen), Derek Holzer (Berlin), Ryan Jordan (London), Jørgen Knudsen (Bergen), Signe Lidèn (Bergen), Julien Ottavi (Nantes), Jørgen Træen (Bergen)

Produced 10-16 October 2010 in Bergen, Norway by Piksel.no. Video by Derek Holzer and Elisabeth Nesheim.

Photos courtesy of Elisabeth Nesheim, Signe Lidèn and svennevenn

Reflections

After some years working in this experimental music scene, you realize that even if you put a bunch of performers in the same room and tell them they are working on the same thing, they all remain soloists at heart. Regnskog suffered initially as any group project might from egoistic hotdoggery, with some artists unable to look past the object in front of them as their own personal PA system. Once we got past that phase, things opened up quite a bit on the second night with many of us experimenting with the entire room as instrument and system, much as I originally intended. A small but highly engaged audience explored the room as well–listening, looking, touching and even singing with the pieces! It was a massive learning experience for me personally, which I hope to benefit from with the next two prospective versions of the project in Berlin and Tallinn during 2011. Details as soon as they are confirmed…

The first workshop we visited, took place at the Utzon Center and was led by the American sound artist Derek Holzer. Under the title Neanderthal Electronics went about building his own synthesizer of simple electronic components and colorful spots such as old toys. Holzer with no technical training built his own large appliances, reminiscent of an old Moog from the 1960s, and the workshop will inspire you to start from scratch and acquire the technology in a punk-esque “Do-it-yourself’ style .

Thus, he will also bring artists and engineers closer together. As he says, it is often the case that when artists need anything from technicians, they say something like “Make me something sad” while the technician will answer “How many units is it?”. It must be possible to find a common language, and you can do at the workshop over the soldering iron.

Text & photos by Kristian Handberg, translation by Google. Read the original here.

Bonus track: live set and workshop photo by Søren Skjødt:

The Neanderthal Electronics workshop in Aalborg was a success. A small but dedicated group from Denmark, Germany, Hungary and Lithuania created a selection of incredible little instruments, with an emphasis on found toys, contact mics, feedback and chaos! Thanks to Edit, Christian, Mads, Gabi and Isa for a colorful time at the Apparat/Platform4 event!

More photos from Apparat by Sami Sänpäkkilä of Fonal Records here!

Now Playing

jazkamer–we want epic drama[2010 pica disk]
jazkamer–matthew 28:17[2010 pica disk][Tusen takk John!!!!]

One video from my Neaderthal Electronics workshop in Malmo last week, and a roundup of the UH Festival night where I played last Saturday. Enjoy!

Neanderthal Electronics: Kajonimba (Electric Cajon Kalimba) by wihle

Here’s a small presentation of my newly built electric rhythm instrument I made in a workshop by Berlin-based sound artist, Derek Holzer. The result sounds something like Tom Waits with semi-constant feedback.

The box includes a primitive spring reverb, two piezo-mics, a broken baby monitor set (a send and a receive unit), two super simple amplifiers and a built-in speaker for acoustic performance. I’ll add an output later to be able to play my kajonimba through external speakers.

UH FEST DAY #4 Oct. 9 by UHFEST
Featuring Bartha Mark & Takacs Borza Akos, Valerio Tricoli w/ Robert Piotrowicz, Piotr Kurek, Derek Holzer, Kria Brekkan, Lasse Marhaug and Thomas Fehlmann, but sadly no Lau Nau…

“Ich bin ein Objekt”: Learning Pure Data as a Language
DATES: 13-14 November 2010 12:00-17:00
COST: EUR 35
LOCATION: NK, Elsenstr. 52/2.Hinterhaus Etage 2
12059 Berlin Neukölln

Pure Data (or Pd) is a real-time graphical programming environment for audio, video, and graphical processing. This introductory workshop is ideal for new users of Pure Data who are finding the “vocabulary” and “grammar” difficult to grasp. We will learn Pure Data as one would learn any other language, taking a series of very basic examples from the Pure Data FLOSS Manual. This workshop gives a good starting point for more advanced Pd workshops, or participation in the Berlin Pure Data users’ group. The workshop will be taught in English ;-)

Participation is limited to 12 participants.

Registration: Pre-registration is required and can be done by sending an email to info@nkprojekt.de

Links:
http://puredata.info
http://en.flossmanuals.net/puredata
http://puredata.info/community/organization/pd-berlin/pd-berlin-users-group

***

Neanderthal Electronics at your Fingertips
DATES: 27-28 November 12:00-17:00 / Presentation 28 November 18:00
COST: EUR 35 + EUR 10 materials fee
LOCATION: NK, Elsenstr. 52/2.Hinterhaus Etage 2
12059 Berlin Neukölln

Learn how to use simple objects from our modern environment (resistors, capacitors, transistors, LEDs, integrated circuit chips…) to design and build your own personal, touch-activated primitive noise synthesizer. Each is a tiny world of its own, using primitive analog computers in combination with feedback, sensors and audio inputs to create a unique sound. Even from the same plan, no two are alike! Participants should bring some sort of box, container or other creative enclosure to put their circuit inside of–past workshops have seen synthesizers made in suitcases, flashlights, film cans, coconuts, children’s toys, super 8 cameras, cigar boxes, knaackebrod, books and hand-sewn masks. Check the videos on the Macumbista website for some ideas and inspiration. This workshop will end in a free public presentation of the instruments you have created, invite your friends!

Participation is limited to 12 participants.

Registration: Pre-registration is required and can be done by sending an email to info@nkprojekt.de

Links:
http://macumbista.net/?page_id=497

***

Now Splice the Tape: Working with Soundfiles in Pure Data
DATES: 04-05 December 12:00-17:00 / Presentation 05 December 18:00
COST: EUR 35
LOCATION: NK, Elsenstr. 52/2.Hinterhaus Etage 2
12059 Berlin Neukölln

Manipulating recorded soundfiles is one of Pure Data’s most powerful features. However, the process of doing this remains one of the most confusing tasks for newcomers. During this two day workshop, we will cover the basics of loading soundfiles to tables, live capturing and looping, adjusting tempo and pitch, changing the looping, starting and stopping points of your playback and an introduction to granular synthesis. We will also examine ParticleChamber as an example of a full-fledged soundfile manipulation application built entirely with Pd. Some previous experience with Pd and/or participation in the “Ich bin ein Objekt” workshop is recommended. This workshop will end in a free public presentation of the instruments you have created, invite your friends!

Participation is limited to 12 participants.

Registration: Pre-registration is required and can be done by sending an email to info@nkprojekt.de

Links:
http://puredata.info
http://en.flossmanuals.net/puredata
http://macumbista.net/?page_id=514 (ParticleChamber)

***

About the Instructor:

Derek Holzer (1972) is an American sound artist living in Berlin, whose current interests include DIY analog electronics, sound art, field recording and the meeting points of electroacoustic, noise, improv and extreme music. He has played live experimental sound, as well as taught workshops in noise art technology, across Europe, North America, Brazil and New Zealand.

SWEDEN
Oct 4-8 – Neanderthal Electronics workshop, Nordic Sound Academy, Malmö SE
Oct 8, 19:00 – Neanderthal Electronics presentation/concert, Nordic Sound Academy, Malmö SE
Workshop limited to students of Nordic Sound Academy, presentation/concert open to the public
Venue: Inter Arts Center, Bergsgatan 29, Malmö

HUNGARY
Oct 9, 21:00 – Macumbista performance, UH Fest, Budapest HU
Info: www.fest2010.uh.hu
Venue: Merlin, Gerlóczy utca 4, Budapest

NORWAY
Oct 11-16 – Regenskog/Rainforest workshop, Piksel, Bergen NO
Oct 15-16 – Regenskog/Rainforest installation/performance, Piksel, Bergen NO
Info: www.piksel.no/2010/09/regnskog-bergen-kjott
Workshop by invitation only, guests welcome to visit. Installation/performance open to the public as follows:
– Friday evening from 20:00
– Saturday afternoon 14:00-18:00
– Saturday evening 20:00-23:00
Venue: Bergen Kjøtt, Skutevikstorget 1, Bergen

DENMARK
Oct 21-23 – Neanderthal Electronics workshop, Apparat, Ålborg DK
Oct 23 20:00 – Macumbista performance, Apparat, Ålborg DK
Workshop registration via APPARAT
Info: www.apparatlab.dk/2010
Performance venue: Platform 4, Rapsgade 4, Ålborg

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bee mask–living’s just defying the ocean[2006 deception island]
cro-mags–the age of quarrel[1986 profile]
fennesz, daniell, buck–knoxville[2010 thrill jockey]
jon mueller–the whole[2010 type]
pete swanson–feelings in america[2010 root strata]
pop (product of power=karkowski & rehberg)–work hard play harder[2003 absurd]