So I watched “I dream of wires”

It was quite interesting actually. I filled a lot of gaps in my knowledge about modulars. However, it still hasn’t made me really want one. I can understand the ideas behind them and I can understand why they are popular, but I still don’t want to commit to getting one. Perhaps it’s because I’ve never actually got my hands on one so I’m not hooked as yet. Who knows.

Still, it was interesting to watch and hear some of the views of a few artists I really respect.

So Reaktor 6 is here

And it looks really interesting and like a good update from 5.5. But before upgrading I have to ask myself if I’m actually going to make enough use of this update to make it worthwhile. So far I’m not doing anything really interesting with Reaktor so I’m sitting on the fence about getting the upgrade. There’s always the argument that actually the upgrade itself will make me make something interesting with it, but I’m even struggling to get myself to believe that!

I think I’ll leave it for a couple of months and see what I feel like then.

Moog Soundlab residency: Iain Forsyth & Jane Pollard Performance

Moog Soundlab residency: Iain Forsyth & Jane Pollard Performance
Moog Soundlab residency: Iain Forsyth & Jane Pollard Performance

After being at one of these performance I’d booked to go again, expecting, not unreasonably, for it to be of a similar format to the previous Moog Soundlab event at the Ace Hotel in Shoreditch. I was wrong. At least, I was for the most part wrong. It was similar in the sense that there was the same enormous (or at least enormous by my standards) Moog modular rig being used. However, I was different in more or less every other aspect.

To illustrate I took a photograph of the letter that every received (on their chair as they arrived) and were asked to read.

Iain Forsyth & Jane Pollard Performance
Moog Soundlab residency: Iain Forsyth & Jane Pollard Performance … the letter

I think you’ll agree that this is really quite unusual. As were the two glasses of gin that did arrive and were, at least to my taste, nothing like the gin I’m used to.

In fact, as an event it was more like something I might see at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, rather than in London, so from that perspective, I loved it.

Moog Soundlab residency: Dave Colohan

Moog Soundlab residency: Dave Colohan - The Modular
Moog Soundlab residency: Dave Colohan – The Modular

This was a lovely little event, and when I say little I really do mean it. The audience was tiny in a tiny little basement bar at the Ace hotel in Shoreditch. It’s a nice venue though. The performance lasted a hour and was very interesting and used a lot but not all the equipment.

More modular stuff
More modular stuff

I find it interesting to watch a modular performance like this to see how the music is actually generated and sustained. It isn’t like normal performances at all of course. Quite different indeed.

Modular beauties at Moog Soundlab residency
Modular beauties at Moog Soundlab residency

The arrangements were lovely, with people’s names on their booked seats.

My seat at Moog SoundLab
My seat at Moog SoundLab

And on each seat was a thing called a “dream machine”, which was a strange light contraption sitting on a turntable. It made an interesting effect though.

Dream machine at Moog SoundLab residency
Dream machine at Moog SoundLab residency

So it was an enjoyable evening, good fun, interesting to watch and different environment too.

Dave Colohan performing
Dave Colohan performing