Utility Music Book by Josh Mason (+CD)
- Order number: 210552
Josh Mason explored a Doepfer A-100 modular synthesizer for a whole year, he recorded his findings and wrote a book about them – attempting to learn more about the fundamental building blocks of synthesis and with the goal to prove that even nowadays synthesizer-based music can be realized without the aid of modern DSP and "shiny" hardware within the format.
Utility Music is the result of a year long exploration, beginning on January 1, 2019 and ending December 31, 2019. Josh started a new patch every Monday, continuing to develop it until the end of the week. On Saturday it was time to perform the patch without making any new additions. Sunday the day for recording work of the week, taking down patch notes, then taking the patch apart so that the process could begin all over again the next day.
The final audio portion of the project is a mosaic assembled from these weekly stems, provided as a CD, accompanied by a 72-pg. bound book containing further information on the project as well as weekly point-to-point patch notes and insights into process.
It is highly recommended that the listener experiences the audio portion of the project in conjunction with the written material.
Artwork, Writing and Design: Josh Mason
Technical Assistance: Andrew Weathers
Utility Music @Josh Mason
Utility Music Audio@Bandcamp
WIth a long trajectory building synths, MIDI keyboards and designing bespoke devices for music pioneers Kraftwerk, Dieter Doepfer decided to design his own modular synthesizer in 1995 based on existing electrical and mechanical specifications of lab equipment he used during his years at university. The official presentation of the system at 1996 Frankfurt Musikmesse caught everyone by surprise and created lots of interest. After Doepfer published the specifications on his website, many instrument designers and engineers saw the potential of the new Eurorack format. Doepfer continues expanding their catalog of over 200 modules (and counting), operating from their modest offices in the outskirts of Munich.