"I'm associated with dance music, with electronica, which makes me feel ill. I only learnt all the boring computer crap as a means to an end. Virtually all musicians these days use computers, but if you write a book on a computer, nobody calls it electronic writing; the format you use doesn't necessarily affect the outcome." -Rob Dougan
I'm looking to meet musicians in Sydney (especially percussionists)
interested in collaborating in electronic dance music.
Current gear list;
PPG Wave 2.3 & Waveterm A
Kawai K5000W
Roland JX-8P & PG800
Yamaha SY-77
Roland SPD6
Korg DRV-3000
Fostex DCM100 & Mixtab
Yamaha DTR2
Yamaha GQ2015A
Chevin Research A500
& 2x JBL 105's.
Kraftwerk, Hexstatic, Underworld, Thomas Dolby, Laurent Garnier, Sven Vath, Mylo, Jens, Marmion, Tomanandy, BT, Alan Sylvestri, Meco, Pink Floyd, Pnau, 3 Jays, Future Sound of London, Grandmaster Flash, Green Velvet, Jakatta, Joey Beltram, Peter Lazonby, Prodigy, Aphex Twin, BBE, Binary Finary, Chicane, Tonite Only, HMC, Dirty House Records, Dave Clarke, Freefall, Armand Van Heldon, Carl Cox, Freestylers, Thomas Schumacher, The Nextmen, Nalin & Kane, Freeform Five, New Order, Push, Sgt. Slick. Members of Mayday, System F, The Drill, Three Drives, DJ Misjah & DJ Tim, Don Davis, Rob Dougan, Propellerheads, Massive Attack, Everything but the Girl, Paul Oakenfold, Juno Reactor, Clint Mansell
Ok... So the crappy survey is gone. It was something to fill the space after receiving a comment about the lack of personal information on the page.
Once removed, it leaves an awfully large gap to fill, so here we go.
If you're interested in a fuller history, then there's a series of blogs here which might explain things in somewhat greater clarity (?).
I guess (growing up) I always had crappy taste in music. I think my first two music purchase/gifts were Suzie Quatro's "Greatest Hits" & The Monkey's "Greatest Hits". Hey, I was 10 & television was my preferred method of learning - some might say that it was my baby-sitter.
But in 1977 things all changed with the release of Episode 4, of Star Wars. A guy called Meco Modardo did a disco version of the film sountrack which got lots of radio airplay. Around that time there were radio shows about music which went through different styles. One day they were discussing the Star Wars movie & Meco's take on the soundtrack & introduced me to this new word called the Synthesizer. Man, I was hooked!
So from then on in, I started getting more interested in electronic music - some for the better, some for the worse. I took a keen musical interest in Howard Jones - an 80's synth/pop musician/songwriter - and have a number of his albums in my collection.
But I also took a keen interest in Jean Michel Jarre (JMJ) & Kraftwerk. Around 1985/86 JMJ released an album called Zoolook - an journey into electronic music, using sampled sounds as-well-as synthesized sounds. This album had an interesting collaboration with an avant-garde artist called Laurie Anderson (famous songs being "Oh Superman" & "Language is a Virus").
Kraftwerk, unbeknownst to myself, had already pervaded my psychi, through various science & futurist shows using their music as their theme music.
So these influences swelled inside & in 1986 (?) I purchased my first synthesizer; a Roland JX-3P. The Commodore Amiga 1000 computer was released which brought to me my first experience of sampling. Cruncy 8 bit samples, which worked great for drums. At that time I could only work with samples which were pre-packaged - I couldn't justify the audio ADC (Analogue to Digital convertor). Also, the music was still fan-based; that is, interested in reproducing the sounds of my influences, rather than experiencing my own.
The band Genesis had already caught my attentionwith their 1983 self-titled album. With strong tracks like "Mama", "Home by the Sea" & "Second Home by the Sea". Then in 1986/87, Genensis released their album "Invisible Touch".
Through a group of 'online' friends, we all became keen Genesis fans. But mostly through a guy I worked with who introduced me to the back-catalogue of Genesis, going all the way back to Peter Gabriel.
Peter Gabriel also launched his album "So", which included a colaboration with Laurie Anderson. So now, Peter Gabriel/Laurie Anderson & Jean Michel Jarre/Laurie Anderson. I must find out about Laurie Anderson and soon enough, I recorded (apologies Laurie) a live concert she did, which included a spoken word performance by William S. Burroughs.
Through the 'online' multi-user bulletinboard, I got to meet a guy doing some music of his own. Batz J. Goodfortune was writing his album, which was to become "Political Flea Circus" with the signature track being "Another Big Year in Politics". I assisted in the opening track, but some of the 'online friends' banded together & we created a working line-up of "The All Electric Kitchen" (AEK).
We played one show, then the band (mostly) disintegrated. But holding on, we continued to produce music in a shed. Eventually being picked up by Transcom.
Now, I'm not saying that my musical contribution to AEK was great - virtually non-existant - but I believed in it & did what I could...
So I'd started going to clubs & saw a magazine called "The Core" - fast 'n' furious, black & white printing. But The Core had a freshness to it & it was at that time that I figured that the AEK's music might be accepted in the dance/rave scene. How blind I was to the seductive power of this new life...
In part, it was the frustrations of being involved with AEK, but also that this dance/rave music was more what I imagined electronic music to be. So one day, that was the end. It was grand, and I was appreciative of all that I'd learnt, but I had no more energy for AEK.
After a holiday in 1997 a few things happened. Firstly, I'd collated a whole bunch of hardware/software. I bought a serious (for it's time) computer & put it together with the existing soundcard hardware I had, plus a purchase I'd made overseas. I'd already had purchased several synths & now had a clear plan on what was needed & what I wanted.
My favorite toy - a German PPG Wave 2.3 - was the 'core' sound of my music & I'd try to use it as frequently as possible. But the other main synth was still just as useful - a Roland JX-8P (the 3P being sold many years back - too basic). So I started writing a bunch & it got a whole lot easier the more I did. I wrote the three tracks on this profile; Patterns, Existence & Impulse during a tumultous period in my life. But in late 2001 it was like someone had hit a big PAUSE button.
The PPG Wave 2.3 worked (electronically), but it just completely stopped producing sound. Also, I moved to WA & found it difficult to find work. No work - no money. No money - no repairs. Also the PPG synths are an obscure, bizzare synth. It really requires a specialist to repair them!
The music computer also started to die & was using technology which was no-longer supported by Microsoft (MS, stopped supporting any manufacturer was producing ISA cards).
But to cut a long story short, with several years passing, I find myself now in Sydney with still the same problems, but now an income which should see all of this resolved.
I have two tracks (bookend tunes) in my head. They're definitely two songs, but they seigue into each other. The first bookend will be called "The Empire" with the second one being "Never Ended". This is a reference to the Philip K. Dick novel "VALIS". V.A.L.I.S is an acronym of Vast Active Living Intelligence System, but the relevance of this name doesn't become apparent until 2/3rds into the book - however the prelude is completely relevant. If you get the opportunity, I highly recommend this book.
Anamnesia is a reference to VALIS & is also found in his other novels. The description of Anamnesia as found in VALIS is;
"The loss of Amnesia"
and/or;
"Suppose that I have childhood memories that I have not only forgotten but forgot ever knowing. To continue with this example, if I were to then recall the childhood memories at a later date, it would be an instance of anamnesia."
p.s. I'm happy to see that Paul Giamatti is playing the character of Philip K. Dick in a biographical motion picture of PKD's life. See this Press Release
I'd always thought Paul Giamatti would make a Great PKD... :)
This was taken at The Crazy Horse, Adelaide's famous strip club and a personal favorite of Mr Robbie Williams. We believe Mike Rann is holding the dollar bills.
I really appreciate the blog comment! I've been a fan of yours for a while and it was an unexptected suprise to get a comment from you. I really enjoy the music you make. Keep up the good work.
Hi there! Thanks for your comments about Syncro. I like your music style and my favourite track of yours is Patterns. Keep working the PPG!. Regards Pete & Ant
Hey Anamnesia. Thanks heaps for that! It's always truly touching to receive compliments and somehow I don't think my ego will ever be in a place where I don't need them!!!
