Photos of my SoundBoxes from the moddr opening at iMAL, Brussels, plus Matt Kemp’s Nizo Super 8 Analogue Noise Machine which he made during one of my Neanderthal Electronics workshops in Rotterdam a while back. Photos by Yves Bernard, iMAL.

Now Playing

jack london–the call of the wild & white fang[1903/1906]
neil young–live rust[1979]
t.e. lawrence–seven pillars of wisdom[1926]

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]

Watching Tomoko Sauvage Performance/Installation @ Grimm Museum Berlin (photos by Laura Gianetti)

Miss Tomoko was a fabulous host during my last stay in Paris, especially when she indulged my obsession with second hand stores and flea markets. The TONEWHEELS gig at the Art Museum of Dijon went strange, basically I was asked to turn it down about 5 minutes into the set, when I was only a quarter of the way up! Seems the security guards were frightened I might “vibrate” the paintings in the museum (organizers, on the other hand, were cool and supportive). Talk/demo for the /dev/art series was a bit friendlier, with lots of questions and interest, and the final I-R-L gig was super, very good PA and responsive audience. Thanks to everyone who made it possible.

However, a funny thing happened on the way to the airport…

I almost forgot to mention that I missed my flight going to France! The long and the short of it is this: I hadn’t done the TONEWHEELS set since last spring, so I had forgotten how screwed up all my equipment was. I started checking it the day before my flight, and realized that I would have to remake everything…motor controllers, light-to-sound converters and all. Mostly because of stubbornness, I have to confess. I had tried to make a single unit of the whole thing before my USA tour and abandoned it the day before leaving.

This time I would not be defeated! I worked until the last possible minute, but to no avail. Then I called a taxi to the airport, which never showed up. I rebooked the flight (at my own expense!!!) for the next morning early, and spent the whole sleepless night (again…) building the SlenderTONEWHEELS box.

SlenderTONEWHEELS takes it’s name and super-70’s enclosure plus matching carry case from a Slendertone “fitness” machine, designed to stimulate your abdominal muscles with electrical pulses while you perform such rigorous labor as eating popcorn while watching Saturday Night Live. I found the device at a flea market in Helsinki last winter and had been dying to use it for something. So at the cost of a missed flight, I managed to put a 6 channel Arduino-based PWM motor controller and four light-to-sound-converters inside just in time to show off for the Frenchies.

Now that I’m home I can start preparing for the next two upcoming workshops at NK Project Berlin plus a Tuned City trip to Tallin, as well as thinking how to concentrate more on crafting unique sound boxes to sell rather than traveling so much for gigs and workshops. Not that I don’t like playing and teaching, it’s just that I start to feel so un-grounded these days. Maybe missing flights is a sign I need some rest…

Now Playing

agalloch–marrow of the spirit[2010 profound lore]
bruce springsteen–nebraska[1982]
jazkamer–failed state of mind[2010 pica disk]
kris kristofferson–kristofferson[1970]
krzysztof penderecki–threnody to the victims of hiroshima(tren ofiarom hiroszimy)[1960]

Although this sounds absolutely nothing like what people in the room actually experienced, I’m posting this mixing desk recording of my set at the UH Fest just to give an idea. Get ready for slooooooow development…

www.fest2010.uh.hu/music/recordings/406_derek_holzer@uh2010.mp3

Now Playing

en–the absent coast[2010 root strata]
expo 70–where does your mind go[2010 immune]
jazkamer–failed state of mind[2010 pica disk]
locrian–territories[2010 at war with false noise]
merzbow+z’ev–spiral left/spiral right[2010 cold spring]
mv & ee–bollywoe[2010 child of microtone]
seth nehil–tracing the skins of clouds[1998 orogenetics]
sun araw–on patrol[2010 not not fun]
supersilent–10[2010 rune grammofon]
supersilent–11[2010 rune grammofon]
the fun years–god was like, no[2010 barge]

17 November: TONEWHEELS performance @ Résonances Electroniques Festival, Museum of Fine Arts, Dijon FR

19 November: TONEWHEELS discussion + performance @ /dev/art/, 19h / 23h, BlackBoxe, 17 rue de la Chapelle 75018 Paris FR, FREE

20 November: TONEWHEELS performance @ I-R-L Performances / Optica Festival avec Art of Failure and Chloé Mazlo & Son of a Pitch, 20h30, Centre Mercoeur, 4 rue Mercoeur 75011 Paris FR – M° voltaire/charonne, paf: 5 euros

Thanks to Octarine Productions, Jack/Kevin/Laurent@RYBN and the beautiful Tomoko Sauvage for support putting this trip together.

Now Playing

kevin drumm–live at bardens boudoir, london, uk 29.01.08 mp3[2008]
kk null–akumu[2008 vital]
mattin (ed.)–noise and capitalism book[2009 arteleku audiolab]
paul demarinis–buried in noise book[2010 kehrer][danke carsten!!!]
prurient+cold cave–stars explode[2010 hospital productions]
merzbow+balázs pándi–live at fluc wanne, vienna 18.05.10 lp[2010]

Videos from the first two days of the UH Fest Go Social! Tour by Jackie Triste

Now Playing

angel eyes–dire dish c36 [2010 not not fun records]
arkhonia–trails/traces[2010white box]
barn owl–ancestral star[2010 thrill jockey]
bj nilsen+stilluppsteypa–space finale 2xlp[2010 editions mego]
jon mueller–physical changes cd+lp+dvd[2010 table of elements]
marcus fjellström–schattenspieler[2010 miasmah]
robedoor–pacific drift 7″[2010 not not fun]

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!!!!]

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

Now Playing

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]

Touch Radio 56 | Thomas Ankersmit

29.09.10 – Hangar Performance, Tallinn, May 29th 2010 – 19:02 – 192 kbps

Solo saxophone performance inside abandoned seaplane hangar, Tallinn harbour, Estonia. Recorded by John Grzinich, May 29 2010, at the introduction event for Tuned City Tallinn 2011.
www.tunedcity.net
www.thomasankersmit.net
www.touchradio.org.uk/touchradio_56_thomas_ankersmit.html

Now Playing

keiji haino & pan sonic–in the studio 2LP[2010 blast first petite]
kevin drumm–the obstacles of romantic exaggeration[2010 karl schmidt verlag]
pete swanson–where i was[2010 self-released]
robin fox–a handful of automation[2010 editions mego]
swans–my father will guide me up a rope to the sky[2010 young god]
watain–lawless darkness[2010 season of mist]
wolvserpent–blood seed[2010 20 buck spin]

The Ultrasound Festival organizers took special tour of Hungary, covering for a week the country’s most marginalized people. They visited the market Devecser, and afterwards the Bicske refugee camp.

Click the image to visit the page with the video You should probably let the video load completely before playing, it’s rather slow outside Hungary.

Direct link:
http://index.hu/video/2010/09/18/zajzene_a_menekulttaborban/

Now Playing

thomas ankersmit–live in utrecht[2010 ash international](dank je wel thomas!)