Workshop ~ Modular microtonal techniques

Noodlefest 2017 will be a great opportunity for modular enthousiasts to check out a large number of seasoned modular artists, all passing through Rotterdam (NL) during one long weekend from september 29th to october 1st. At the Noodlefest, Tony Dubshot will do a workshop about some of the new modular options and techniques that are available to make microtonal music. Breaking news: expect a demo of the brand new Tubbutec µTune microtonal quantizer.

OR Combiner play 432 Hz-set at Noodlefest

OR Combiner = Lama Waaien (Lamaha Metasynth, guitar & FX) + Tony Dubshot (Modular, singing bowl & tuning fork). This duo from Leiden (NL) play mostly improvised jams: a free jazz-inspired dive into the musical rabbit hole. On the 1st of october they play a set based on 432 Hz at the 5 Years of Noodlebar festival in Rotterdam.

Out now: Harmony Hacker by Sevish

Unsurprisingly, the new Sevish album is fantastic. So if you already know who Sevish is, run go check it out (and if you'd like something to read, check the excellent comments of Jacky Ligon). On the other hand, if you haven't had a chance yet to hear this 21st century xen music genius, you might want to do yourself a favor by checking out some of his finest compositions. We'll just let the music speak.

A wearable subwoofer? Meet the Basslet

Linus is kinda cool. He wears strictly sandals and white ankle sox, he's very DIY, he tells it like it is, and even his squeaky voice will grow on you. A bonus for musicians: he has good ears. A classic is his review of the Pono Player. That triangular audiophile mp3-player, sponsored by Neil Young. You don't remember? Never mind.

Surviving the Modular Hype #4 ~ Autothenticity

DIY stands for Do It Yourself. In electronic music, this can be making your own instruments, making your own bleeps and noises or crafting your own unique overall sound. Just like modular synthesis, DIY smells of authenticity, which is something we all like. Unfortunately, in the near future, electronic music will not be about authenticity or DIY anymore. Right now, fully automated AI-music is on the rise.

The astrology of legendary jazz records

On December 9th 1964, John Coltrane recorded his masterpiece A Love Supreme in Rudy van Gelder's studio in Englewood Cliffs. Astrologically speaking, that session took place in the eye of a musical storm. So let's take a closer look at the astrological 'weather' during legendary sessions led by Coltrane, Mingus and Miles Davis.

Modular Microtones #1

Why would anybody want to make microtonal music with a modular synth? Somehow, using a computer seems more logical. Especially if you want perfection, which is a common syndrome among microtonalists. But if you’re ok with an oscillator drift of about +/- 1 cent, making microtonal music on a modular system can be big fun. 

Revenge of the Modular Monsters

Let's take it to the stage. Modular maddness with the mighty Mono-Poly featuring Aminah Raysor, and the funky beats of OSC 1899. The Vrijplaats Leiden is perfect for this, it was a great night..

Star Wars ~ Hannibal vs. Rome

Cicero, the Roman philosopher/politician, didn't believe in astrology. In his book De Divinatione he wrote "Did all the Romans who fell at Cannae have the same horoscope? Yet all had one and the same end." The Battle of Cannae was the bloodiest battle in the Second Punic War. It’s even one of the bloodiest battles in all the history of war. An estimated 70.000 Roman soldiers died in a matter of hours.

Is Deep Learning the new 42?

Microphone technique vs. a debate about the future of high tech. Hilarious. If you're interested in the musical side of Deep Learning, try Sirajology on DopeLearning. If you're a dubb scientist, read Wavenet: a generative model for raw audio, a new paper from the Go-champions of Deepmind. Eurorack lovers could try The Oracle.

Out Now: AstroBear ~ Return to Dubb

AstroBear comes from a little planet in the neighborhood of Dubb, which is a bright star on the back of the Great Bear. His love of Space Honey has taken him all over the Milky Way. Recently, he even visited Earth, and left us this little EP with his favorite space travel music.

Download: dubbhism320-024-astrobear-return-to-dubb.rar

Astrology and music: how planets and musicians interact

In this post we present the first results of a new Dubbhism research program: astrology. We're looking at the combinations of the planets in the birth charts of musicians. For this project, we don't use regular astrology (zodiac signs, houses etc.). Instead, we look at a remarkable theory based on the Golden Ratio.

Victim of the Brain

80ties docudrama starring Douglas R. Hofstadter and Daniel Dennett.

Out now on Split-Notes: Next Xen

Next Xen is a new compilation out on Split-Notes, our favorite xenharmonic label. The album features ~ among many others ~ Jacky Ligon (killer track) and Sevish (another scorcher), who have also collaborated with us on several Dubbhism releases. Also fine tracks by Brendan Byrnes, Steve Mueske, Carlo Serafini and Elaine Walker.