For our first episode of the SINE Live Sessions we have invited Vōlc.
A New Zealand based artist from the shores of Lake Taupō performing live on his modular synthesizer. This session was recorded as a live performance and straight out of the synthesizer without any post-processing to keep it pure.
The way Vōlc describes his journey to create this patch for the SINE Synthesizer Community in his own words: "Performing on a modular synthesizer is like a journey not only for the listener but also for the performer. Subtle changes like increasing the attack and decay time of your envelope and modulating the filter cutoff makes your music come to live and brings energy to your performance by building up the tension.
For this patch I deliberately chose to not prepare or practice like I normally would, due to short notice I was restricted by time and I wanted the performance to feel like a jam. Much like a guitar player picking up his guitar I used the the modular synth as an instrument. My live rig is put together in such a way that in theory it has all resources an artist needs to perform.
Most people working with modular synthesizers don’t like to be put on the spot and perform, I think that this unconventional way of using a synthesizer can push you to the limits of your system, as you learn to interact with all modules in your studio and perform with them on stage. Yes there is room for errors, it is harder to come up with new and refreshing ideas, and mistakes are made. But hey, what’s life worth if we are all identical and compress our dynamic range to be the same few frequencies we hear on the radio all day."
Vōlc's live rig is built out of an Erica Synths 104HP 6U Alu travel case with in it mainly modules from Joranalogue Audio Design and Endorphin.es. The kick and drums are provided by the iconic sounding Blck_Noir inspired by the classic Roland CR-78, it sounds gritty, a bit distorted but fits the style and the underground environment where these sessions were recorded. The melodic parts are mainly created by Joranalogue's Generate 3 fed into Filter 8 modulated by Orbit 3.
The location for this video, Il Bruto in Auckland CBD, contributes to the ambiance of the video. The club is situated in an underground basement, serving some of the best cocktails in town. They promote electronic music and is deemed to be the Headquarters of the Sine Synthesizer Community in New Zealand.
Credits - Artist: Robin de Geus (Vōlc) Director: Sebastián Vidal Bustamante Location: Il Bruto, Auckland Produced by Sonoaudiovisual & Synthesizer NZ
