SynthWise - synthesizer

Admin: Calfiaudio Link for Plan B Post

SynthWise — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 10:51:00 -0600

Looks like I missed the link to more info in this post. If you missed it do go check it out.

...and a Lothar New Year.

SynthWise — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 07:20:00 -0600

Since Santa and his gang have been thrust upon us by the stores even earlier this year, you may be getting an early start on your holiday shopping.

Check out the Lothars Online Shopping Emporium for those Aether-Heads on your list!
Besides their recordings (must haves for any Theremin Addict), they've added a lot of other cool stuff you can wear as a secret clue to other TW members you may pass or as a great conversation starter.

Nadia Reisenberg & Clara Rockmore Foundation Web Site

SynthWise — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 13:18:00 -0600

The family and friends of Clara Rockmore and her sister Nadia Reisenberg have been very busy for the past few years.Since the initial formation of the Nadia Reisenberg/Clara Rockmore Foundation, we have been able to enjoy re-releases of classic, and some previously unavailable recordings by these remarkable sister virtuosos.

The foundation has just launched a new web site to serve as a public archive for these important musicians. http://www.Nadia-Clara.org There is also information on how to contribute to the foundation and help keep this work going.

""Founded in 2004, the Nadia Reisenberg/Clara Rockmore Foundation was created to honor the achievements and enhance the legacies of these two extraordinary sisters, the eminent pianist and teacher Nadia Reisenberg, and Clara Rockmore, unquestionably the world's greatest virtuoso of the theremin. ""

Many thanks to the family and board of this organization, this information is very important to all of us in the Theremin Community.

Lev Termen - Passed Into History Nov. 3rd

SynthWise — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 09:09:00 -0600

Monday, Nov 3rd, was the 15th anniversary of Lev Termen's passing into the Aether. This has been such an historic week, I was not able to do him the honor of a memento until today. Gosh, 15 years already, that man changed our lives. We cannot let him be forgotten!
Hope you have a moment this week to think of him.
Keep On Playing!

Encyclopedia of Electronic Music

SynthWise — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 11:46:00 -0600

via Aliens Project:
"Bernd-Michael Land (b. 1954) aka Aliens Project started making music in late 1960’s, first on one of the early transistor organs and then switching to synthesizers while playing in various Rock bands. Parallel to that, he also started his solo career that saw him building his studio piece by piece, adding some sophisticated modular synthesizers to his setup. Since then he has released several cassettes and CD’s, worked for sample libraries (among them “Bad Samples”, “Australian Collection”, “Bionics” and Toy of the Month” series) and collaborated with several artists, including Coco of Programmierte Welten. Behind the Blue Room is his latest effort containing 16 tracks. It starts with “Battlefield of Thronos”."

2 new additions to our music shop

SynthWise — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 20:46:00 -0500

Just in time for the holidays, we've added 2 new essential listening albums to our music shop:

Spellbound! Original Works For Theremin by Lydia Kavina (also available as a downloadable MP3 album for $9.99)

and...

Moonstruck, by Barbara Buchholz (also available as a downloadable MP3 album for $7.99)

Spellbound Will Scare the Aether Outtya!

SynthWise — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 08:19:00 -0500

It is SkooOO000OOooky Theremin Time Again.
The infamous Spellbound Halloween is on it's way!

This year's Halloween special is on....Halloween! A special night and time, HALLOWEEN Friday night, Oct. 31st, at 10 PM Eastern US time on Cygnus Radio. Two hours and change of new and play list Halloween music!

If you have scared yourself playing and got a recording of it you want to submit, you have until Thursday October 30th to getyour new music to David Vesel for the Halloween special.You can email him at spellbound (at) purplenote.comand David will furnish additional information and instructions.

Thanks David.
And Happy Halloween Everybody!

Important Fun: Thereminists for Obama

SynthWise — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 21:05:00 -0500

Mira

I promise, I had nothing to do with this! Democraticstuff.com is offering a "Thereminists for Obama" button for a mere $1. Sure, Bill Clinton could play the saxophone, but that's nothing compared to a theremin-playing President!

If you think Barack Obama's theremin persona works, check out his Rick Astley cover.

If he doesn't get elected President of the United States, maybe he'll agree to be our spokesperson for World Theremization? We can only dream... yes we can.

MoogLab: Live Video Controlled by Theremin

SynthWise — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 12:44:00 -0500

The Bob Moog Foundation has not only been doing great work to catalogue Bob's archives but tremendous outreach too. As an embodiment of the mission to carry on his innovations fitting together as a new organic whole the human and the technical, Sean McDonald and other foundation members worked with HatchFest (an arts festival focused on innovation which is held regionally in different parts of the country), and the software group VidVox on some cool new Theremin Magic.

At the HatchFest, in Bozeman, MT., they connected a Theremin to live video remixing software and added in a webcam so that people could manipulate live video of themselves playing a Theremin in real-time.

It sounds like the experiment was a rousing success, and definitely a very creative way to spread exposure to the Theremin as well as Bob Moog's work and spirit.

Sean has a full write up of the project and the event in his article about the event.

Congratulations and many thanks to Sean and the Moog Foundation crew for this creative (and fun!) project.

Tiny Hands Needed: The Micro Theremin

SynthWise — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 10:55:00 -0500

TW member Alessandro has constructed what may be the World's Smallest Theremin.

Let's hope it gets into the Guinness Book of World Records and spreads World Thereminization along side the World's Largest Accordion (also in Italy by the way)!

Lucie Bigalow Rosen - Getting To Know Her

SynthWise — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 14:23:00 -0500

Of the three biggest influences in the early history of space controlled instruments, the theremin triumvirate of Lev Termen, Clara Rockmore, and Lucie Bigalow Rosen, Lucie Rosen has been the least documented and appreciated. Almost no recordings of her have been available.

With her work as sponsor of the inventor, Lev Termen, a commissioner of new works for the theremin, and a touring performer, Lucie Rosen was tremendously important in the early life and eventual survival of the instrument. She and her husband, Walter Rosen, also created a lasting public legacy in The Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts where her theremin, built by Lev circa 1935, is still displayed.

Rosen's Theremin (photo: T. Holmes)

In Dec. 2007 ThereminWorld was delighted to help share Kip Rosser's find of a rare recording by Lucie performing in a big band arrangement called Gigolette

Since that time music historian Thom Holmes has consolidated and expanded on the currently available information about her in his article "The Lost Recordings of Lucie Bigelow Rosen"

As part of that process he has been able to share another recording restored from the Caramoor archives of Lucie Bigalow Rosen performing on her theremin with piano. The recording was a 78 RPM glass master coated with acetate most likely made around 1946 and 1947.

This is a great addition to the documentation of theremin history, and a unique chance to hear Lucie Rosen play just a little bit more.
Many thanks to Thom for publishing this material and for sharing it with ThereminWorld.

Lucie Bigalow Rosen - Getting To Know Her

SynthWise — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 14:23:00 -0500

Of the big three influences in the early history of space controlled instruments, the theremin triumvirate of Lev Termen, Clara Rockmore, and Lucie Bigalow Rosen, Lucie Rosen has been the least documented and appreciated. Almost no recordings of her have been available.

With her work as sponsor of the inventor, Lev Termen, a commissioner of new works for the theremin, and a touring performer, Lucie Rosen was tremendously important in the early life and eventual survival of the instrument. She and her husband, Walter Rosen, also created a lasting public legacy in The Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts where her theremin, built by Lev circa 1935, is still displayed.

Rosen's Theremin (photo: T. Holmes)

In Dec. 2007 ThereminWorld was delighted to help share Kip Rosser's find of a rare recording by Lucie performing in a big band arrangement called Gigolette

Since that time music historian Thom Holmes has consolidated and expanded on the currently available information about her in his article "The Lost Recordings of Lucie Bigelow Rosen"

As part of that process he has been able to share another recording restored from the Caramoor archives of Lucie Bigalow Rosen performing on her theremin with piano. The recording was a 78 RPM glass master coated with acetate most likely made around 1946 and 1947.

This is a great addition to the documentation of theremin history, and a unique chance to hear Lucie Rosen play just a little bit more.
Many thanks to Thom for publishing this material and for sharing it with ThereminWorld.

Lucie Bigelow Rosen - Getting To Know Her

SynthWise — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 14:23:00 -0500

Of the three biggest influences in the early history of space controlled instruments, the theremin triumvirate of Lev Termen, Clara Rockmore, and Lucie Bigelow Rosen, Lucie Rosen has been the least documented and appreciated. Almost no recordings of her have been available.

With her work as sponsor of the inventor, Lev Termen, a commissioner of new works for the theremin, and a touring performer, Lucie Rosen was tremendously important in the early life and eventual survival of the instrument. She and her husband, Walter Rosen, also created a lasting public legacy in The Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts where her theremin, built by Lev circa 1935, is still displayed.

Rosen's Theremin (photo: T. Holmes)

In Dec. 2007 ThereminWorld was delighted to help share Kip Rosser's find of a rare recording by Lucie performing in a big band arrangement called Gigolette

Since that time music historian Thom Holmes has consolidated and expanded on the currently available information about her in his article "The Lost Recordings of Lucie Bigelow Rosen"

As part of that process he has been able to share another recording restored from the Caramoor archives of Lucie Bigelow Rosen performing on her theremin with piano. The recording was a 78 RPM glass master coated with acetate most likely made around 1946 and 1947.

This is a great addition to the documentation of theremin history, and a unique chance to hear Lucie Rosen play just a little bit more.
Many thanks to Thom for publishing this material and for sharing it with ThereminWorld.

Student Film Helps Thereminize Canada!

SynthWise — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 13:15:00 -0500

The Air Canada enRoute Student Film Festival has a featured nominee that is a Theremin Documentary.

"Virtuoso" stars thereminists Kamila Nasr and George McDonald (well known around here for his wild Hot Rod Multi-Armed Harley-Like Theremin).

It's short and cannot cover much of the our rich history, but it hits key points about Lev Termen and the instrument, it is a stylish introduction to the Theremin. Of course it is great to hear of fresh aether activity up in Canada, and it's always encouraging to see the word spreading among young people and new players coming on board.

Congratulations to film makers Terry Stone and Thomas Pound, students at the Vancouver Film School, and many thanks for helping spread World Thereminization in Canada!

Many thanks to TW member GordonC for finding this one!!

Zapped Kids Play Theremin

SynthWise — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 08:28:00 -0500

photo Bellingham Herald
In Bellingham WA this week, The American Museum of Radio and Electricity hosted an Electricity Day for kids featuring a Tesla Coil and a Theremin to zap basic electric concepts into the young minds.The children were able to try out the theremin afterwards.
Great Theremin Out Reach! Get 'em young, and get 'em a theremin!

They are home to an RCA Theremin Model AR 1264, you can arrange to visit and actually play it.The event was featured in the Bellingham Herald. TW member thelastpariah is on staff at the museum, and has worked hard to preserve and expand the Theremin presence there.

Picture Spellbound On Your Chest

SynthWise — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 07:01:00 -0500

Spellbound is working on two t-shirts, and collecting counts of folks interested in ordering them!
There are two designs to choose from (and even a bonus CD).Once completed t-shirt sales will help defray the cost to keep this important internet radio program of Theremin Music on the web. David Vesel has amassed the largest single collection of Theremin Music in the world, and Spellbound is the only program totally dedicated to the Theremin and presents a solid two hours of it every week.

Check in at the t-shirts page to register your interest, and let David know the TW gang supports and appreciates his work.
Oh... and buy one too when they come out!

Aries Modular AR-324 Dual LFO Lag/Inverter Update

SynthWise — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 19:46:00 -0500

This post has been updated with much larger shots.

Aries Modular AR-318 S&H Noise Clock

SynthWise — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 19:36:00 -0500

This post has been updated with much larger shots.

i-play-i-phone-i-heart-music-toys

SynthWise — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 08:05:00 -0500

James Spitznagel with his Nintendo

From before Mozart's time musical toys and pieces made with them have been an important part of our musical culture. Acoustic toys of all sorts have been important for contemporary artist like John Zorn and Penguin Cafe Orchestra. And the CasioTone was an important step into electronics for an entire generation.

After seeing what James Spitznagel can do with the Nintendo and Tenori-On devices, it's obvious Personal and Gaming Digital Devices hold just as much creative potential. His work in broad gestural music uses them as well as a lap top and other devices creating "ambient" pieces that not only build a sonic landscape but tell a story and are filled with his personality as an artist.

Now for all you new iPhone owners, Leisuresonic software has released its music application for the iPhone and iPod touch, Cosmovox.You still have to touch the phone, but it's an interesting way to make music with an personal digital device.

""Cosmovox owes some of its inspiration to the Theremin, an early 20th century electronic music instrument which is played by moving your hands near an antenna. Cosmovox can convincingly imitate the sound of the Theremin, and other similar electronic instruments which haunt pulp sci-fi movies, yet Cosmovox uses the computing power of your iPhone... Cosmovox is a unique and innovative motion-controlled musical instrument which utilizes the accelerometer of the iPhone as its primary musical control. As you rotate your iPhone, the pitch of the synthesizer changes with uncanny precision. ""

Cosmovox is now available at the Apple App Store.

Man Attacks Theremin With Dog

SynthWise — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 16:22:00 -0500

First cats now dogs play theremins,though they may need extra support with the playing technique, this is one really cute dog.

His myspace video playing what looks like a ThereMax theremin.