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Modern Buchla Reissues with Mike Hunter and Steve McQuarry
Original Buchla instruments are rare and expensive, but fear not! There are several modern companies working to make Buchla's designs accessible to today's musicians. This event will explore current commercially-available instruments that are decended from or based upon Buchla's creations. These include modern hardware instruments from Buchla USA, the current version of the company Don founded. We'll also explore the Eurorack Buchla modules issued by Tiptop Audio as well as various Buchla-based software/VST instruments.
The event will open with a movie screening of Waveshaper Media's 2014 documentary I Dream of Wires, which discusses Buchla's design philosophy in depth and also focuses on the rebirth of modular synthesis via the modern Eurorack community. Before and immediately after the screening, the exhibit will be open and EMEAPP staff, along with artist Steve McQuarry, will lead guided explorations of the Arturia Easel and a Buchla Tiptop system. NOTE: due to the shortened exhibit hours, the EEG module will not be demonstrated.
Following the movie screening, Mike Hunter will conduct a lecture/workshop on the Arturia Buchla Easel V, a powerful and affordable software recreation of the Buchla Easel.
The evening will feature performance sets by both Mike Hunter and Steve McQuarry. Mike will use his modern Buchla Easel while Steve will use Tiptop Audio Eurorack modules. Both sets will include accompanying video projections designed by each artist. Following the performances, each artist will discuss their approach to music creation using their modern Buchla instruments and take questions from the audience. We also plan to show pre-recorded video interviews with representatives from Tiptop Audio and Buchla USA discussing how their company's instruments carry on Buchla's legacy.
There is no admission fee but donations are gratefully received. Please be sure to select each session you plan to attend when registering. Note that a small booking fee is added to free concerts/performances to help cover costs and minimize no-shows. Seating is limited, so please contact us if you have signed up and can no longer attend so we can make your seats available to others (if you paid a booking fee, it will be refunded if you give up your seats.)
2:00 -3:40 pm - Movie Screening: I Dream of Wires by Waveshaper Media
I Dream of Wires traces the history of modular synthesis, comparing Robert Moog's more-traditional keyboard-based "East Coast" approach to Don Buchla's radically different use of touch plates and generative sequencing to create instruments that seemed to have a mind of their own. The film follows that divide from the 1960s through the near-disappearance of analog synthesizers as digital synths took over in the 1980s and finally ends with the explosive rebirth of modular synthesis via today's Eurorack community. This film is the perfect companion piece for our Modern Buchla Reissues Day, giving visitors both historical context for Buchla's work and an understanding of why and how Buchla's design language continues to influence today's electronic music community. NOTE: due to copyright law, the movie screening cannot be livestreamed.
4:00 - 5:00 pm - Exploring the Arturia Buchla Easel V with Mike Hunter
Love the Buchla sound but don't have an extra couple grand laying around to buy a hardware version? Arturia makes a fantastic software version of the Buchla Easel -- it is licensed by Buchla USA and retails for just $149. Join Mike Hunter as he demonstrates the features of the Arturia Easel and compares and contrasts it to a hardware Easel.
NOTE: The building will close at 5:00 and reopen at 7:30 for the evening concert. We are happy to provide recommendations for area restaurants for dinner!
8:00 pm Concert Performance
Mike Hunter aka Ombient and Steve McQuarry aka Synsor will present performance sets with accompanying video projections using their commercially-available modern versions of Buchla instruments: Mike uses the modern Buchla Music Easel and Steve uses Tiptop Audio Eurorack modules. Following their performances, each artist will discuss their approach to music creation using modern Buchla instruments and take questions from the audience. Video interviews with representatives from Tiptop Audio and Buchla USA will also be shown as part of this program. Photo credit: pique.fm
MIKE HUNTER (OMBIENT)
Mike Hunter, known artistically as Ombient, is a composer, performer, and sound designer celebrated for his immersive electronic landscapes and mastery of modular synthesis. As a member of the EMEAPP Board of Directors, Hunter plays a vital role in preserving and advancing the legacy of vintage electronic instruments. His compositions often center on deep-looping improvisations and ambient soundscapes, with the Buchla Music Easel serving as a key instrument in both his studio work and his live performances. More info can be found at ombient.com.
STEVE MCQUARRY (SYNSOR)
Steve McQuarry (aka Synsor) is an avant-garde audio and visual performer-composer renowned for his groundbreaking work in experimental music. With a focus on creating electronic soundscapes accompanied by digital visuals, McQuarry’s music traverses the realms of ambient, drone, noise, and beats. McQuarry’s journey into electronic music began in high school, where an encounter with a neglected synthesizer sparked a lifelong passion. In addition to working alongside legends like Dizzy Gillespie, John Cage, and Laurie Anderson, McQuarry has been a featured artist for the Buchla TipTop 200t series at 2024 conventions of Modular World and the Earth Modular Society. More info can be found at linktr.ee/synsormusic.
This event is part of EMEAPP/MMT's special exhibition Instruments That Talk Back: Celebrating the Legacy of Don Buchla. Funding for this exhibition has been provided by The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage. We are deeply grateful for their support.