Hardware Hacking DVD!

Nic Collins book Handmade Electronic Music is one of the best books I have ever read about hacking electronics and audio art. Simply put, if you want to get into electronics get this book.

At Bent Fest last week, Collins released the 2nd edition of the book, and while I normally hate new editions, this one is fantastic. Tons more projects, more artist references, and new illustrations are among the many changes to the book. In addition there is a DVD which contains 87 one minute videos of artists projects using hacked electronics and I am proud to say that I am in one of those videos! The project I worked on with Dan Wilcox this past summer at interactivos at Eyebeam is on the DVD under "Dan Wilcox: soundMetal." Luckily Dan put it on the youtubes!

Check it out.


And here is a video of NOIS-E, a cardboard circuit I made during that crazy 2 weeks last summer.

hello, yes

A while ago I edited a video on Slovenia for a professor at Rutgers. Through editing that video I made friends with Rok and Ursa who live in the capital Ljubljana and are in this awesome band called new wave syria. They just released their first album - hello, yes - and asked me to make the cover art. This was a while ago right before NASA and I was pretty much going crazy. So I gave them a few ideas, spent literally 2 hours taking some terrible photos, and sent it off to them with an email heavily laced with apologies. Here are a few.







I like the idea but my execution is terrible. To do this I put pieces of paper on my desk and moved my desk lamp around while using my point and shoot. What I really should have done was use a nice cam, a nice light, and a studio. But sadly I dont have any of these things.

Eitherway, Ursa and Rok took the idea and did it 1000 times better than I did.



They sent me a CD and it is absolutely gorgeous. The packaging, printing, the color, everything is so well done. Oh, and the album is great, perfect music to solder to which I have done several times already. So go to the net label they started, Cheap Tunes Records, and go download the album for free! OR if you want to get the real deal and support some artists and friends across the globe, buy the cd.

NYC Electroacoustic Music Festival

Starting Off w/ Bent Genius!

Today Reid and I set up our new, performance-oriented Alchemy hands at the NYCEMF !

We were having troubles until I arrived in Brooklyn a little after 3am this fine Friday. Among other troubleshooting bulls eyes, (I don't think I have ever written out that expression... is that right?,) we realized we were lacking in the 1/4 inch stereo jack department. I told Reid I could figure out making one, but I never imagined it would be so easy! I was about to start soldering extra pieces of metal all over a jack, but then I took a second look at its automatic shut-off switch. Take a look:

This is a mono jack with a shut off switch:

With some literal 'bending'...

It becomes a stereo jack!


The previous Alchemy Installation (<=check it out) was a triumph for us, and it all went so smoothly, (or so our selective memories led us to believe,) however after creating something with such great sound, looks and control, we wanted to create a (pardon the pun) Hand-held version ever since. The sound generating circuit is from the "super nice dude" (as Reid just put it) Ray Wilson. His Weird Sound Generator is where the project gets its sound. We have made this circuit quite a few times, I still don't know if we have made the same one twice. This time we printed a board posted on the page.


Reid did a lot of work on the images of the hands. The projects driving force was a delving into the world of palmistry and chiromancy. The circuits for both the audio and video respond to the interactors' hands, getting 'readings' of each individual's energy through aural and visual fields.


We prepared the press n peel for the hands. Previously, to more assuredly protect the copper, we covered the whole thing in Sharpie marker.


We went through the whole thing again, çoloring over the whole outline, while listening to a live set Screaming Females recorded for Beastin' the Airwaves with Keili on WFMU - A good ol' time was had by all involved...



Almost completed but not really even close:


Just because they look cool:



After agonizing over so many troubles, instead of three hands, we ended with doubles. Another huge difference is the self-contained light source for the beautifully back lit hands. This time we used Super Bright Leds instead of flourescent flower and Jesus lamps. Reid also did a alot with the video hands. Check it out down below.


We'll see you at the NYCEMFest! and Bent Fest 2009!!!!!!!