Electronic Music Sound On Sound

In an impromptu chat, Tom Oberheim tells Sam Inglis about his early years as an engineer and his accidental route into creating electronic musical instruments. As he celebrates his 50th year since the launch of the SEM, Tom talks about the rise of digital, the resurgence of analogue and the launch of the new TEO-5.
Chapters00:00 - Introduction00:26 - An Accidental Engineer02:46 - Building For Musicians06:34 - Becoming a Distributor For The ARP 260011:05 - Designing The SEM12:43 - The Filter Design15:03 - The OB-1 And Patch Memories
16:36 - OB-X - Polyphony And Programmable Presets
19:35 - The Oberheim Sound22:37 - The Digital Takeover24:40 - The Resurgence Of Analogue
28:01 - Launching The OB-X8 With Focusrite
29:23 - The Oberheim TEO-5
30:37 - Utilising New Technology
Oberheim BiogOberheim is the 21st century return of the legendary company that helped fuel the original electronic music revolution in the 1970s. Now, just as then, Oberheim is guided by the vision of engineer and inventor, Tom Oberheim. Tom’s genius for innovation introduced the world to the first commercially available poly synth and other groundbreaking electronic instruments that literally changed the sound of music.
Today, Oberheim reawakens this extraordinary legacy by bringing the famed Oberheim sound to a new generation of instruments and artists. The company’s passion remains unchanged by time or technology — to once again provide the world with the finest-sounding analog synthesizers ever made.
https://oberheim.com/
Sam Inglis BiogEditor In Chief Sam Inglis has been with Sound On Sound for more than 20 years. He is a recording engineer, producer, songwriter and folk musician who studies the traditional songs of England and Scotland, and the author of Neil Young's Harvest (Bloomsbury, 2003) and Teach Yourself Songwriting (Hodder, 2006).

Electronic Music artist Jlin talks about her processes for creating a new work, being ready to tour straight from the studio and staying grounded and focused when your work starts to gain recognition.
Chapters00:00 - Introduction01:27 - The Journey So Far03:09 - Using FL Studio03:50 - Live Performance With Ableton09:23 - Developing A Sound World10:51 - Focusing On The Detail12:12 - CPU: Clean, Precise And Unpredictable 14:55 - Favourite Plug-ins16:02 - Preparing For A New Project18:36 - Being Disciplined 21:33 - Staying Humble And Working Hard 23:55 - Preparing For A Tour26:13 - Stereo Vs Immersive29:14 - Going With The Flow
Jlin BiogJlin (Jerrilynn Patton) has quickly become one of the most distinctive composers in America and one of the most influential women in electronic music. Jlin’s thrilling, emotional and multidimensional compositions have earned her praise as “one of the most forward-thinking contemporary composers in any genre” (Pitchfork). She is a recipient of a 2023 US Artist award and a 2023 Pulitzer Prize nomination.
Her mini-album Perspective was released to critical acclaim on Planet Mu 2023. Her much-lauded albums Dark Energy (2015) and Black Origami (2017) have appeared on “Best of” lists in The NY Times, The Wire, LA Times, Rolling Stone, The Guardian and Vogue. Jlin has been commissioned by the Kronos Quartet, Third Coast Percussion, the Pathos Quartet, choreographers Wayne McGregor and Kyle Abraham, fashion designer Rick Owens and the visual artists Nick Cave and Kevin Beasley.
Her next release, Akoma (Planet Mu March 2024) features collaborations with Philip Glass, Bjork and Kronos Quartet.
https://www.jlintheinnovator.com/
Caro C BiogCaro C is an artist, engineer and teacher specialising in electronic music. Her self-produced fourth album 'Electric Mountain' is out now. Described as a "one-woman electronic avalanche" (BBC), Caro started making music thanks to being laid up whilst living in a double decker bus and listening to the likes of Warp Records in the late 1990's. This 'sonic enchantress' (BBC Radio 3) has now played in most of the cultural hotspots of her current hometown of Manchester, UK. Caro is also the instigator and project manager of electronic music charity Delia Derbyshire Day.
URL: http://carocsound.com/
Twitter: @carocsoundInst: @carocsound
FB: https://www.facebook.com/carocsound/

The drum machine has progressed massively since the days of the home organ player. Here Oli Freke takes us through a brief history with lots of audio examples, highlighting the most iconic models to have been released during the last 40 years and the part that they have played in shaping musical trends.
Chapters00:00 - Introduction00:51 - Early Rhythm Machines02:57 - The First Korg Rhythm Machine04:03 - The Invention Of The Transistor08:02 - Solid State Rhythm Machines13:48 - Using Drum Machines In Mainstream Hits17:05 - The First Programmable Drum Machines21:59 - The Introduction Of Drum Pads And Brains25:27 - The Arrival Of Digital Samples And The Linn Drum 30:59 - The Era Of Sampling Drum Machines 37:11 - The Impact Of The Roland TR-808 and TR-90942:54 - Other Notable 80s Drum Machines44:41 - The Introduction of MIDI46:51 - Standardised Layouts And Spec50:12 - Analogue Circuit Modelling And Software53:45 - Back To Hardware With Eurorack Modular54:52 - Drum Pattern Generation With AI
Oli Freke BiogOli Freke is a London based musician, artist and author who has had a life-long passion for electronic instruments, synthesizers and electronic music. Currently working for the BBC, he has previously enjoyed success with electro band Cassette Electrik supporting the Human League on tour, written music for television and produced dance music since the 1990s.
His Synth Evolution range of posters, celebrating the synthesizer and electronic music culture, launched in 2017 and led to the definitive, hand-illustrated book, ‘Synth Evolution: From Analogue to Digital (and Back)’, featuring every commercial synth of the 20th century.
www.synthevolution.netwww.linktr.ee/olifreke
CREDITS
1. Chamberlin Rhythmate - audio.com (@Drum Machine)2. Wurlitzer Sideman - Internet Archive (archive.com)3. Korg Doncamatic - Korg (Germany)4. Korg Minipops 3 - Corsynth Modular (Corsynth.com)5. Ace Tone F-1 - @YouAreTheRobots6. Roland TR-77 - @vintageaudioinstitute7. Mattel Bee Gees Rhythm Machine - Thomas P. Heckmann (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jn8mxHfY4vM&t=4s)8. Maestro MRK-2 - @organ61 9. Korg KR-55 - Steve Porter (synthmagic.co.uk)10. Roland CR-78 - AnalogAudio (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r0CHoU24Dis&t=129s)11. Eko CompuRhythm - Hainbach (https://www.youtube.com/@Hainbach)12. Paia Programmable Drumset - Thomas P. Heckmann (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T2afPnOpv4U)13. Boss DR-55 - Leonard de Leonard (https://www.sound-provider.eu/)14. Movement Computer System - @Theccrstudio15. Pollard Syndrum - recording: Joe Bataan, ‘Rap-O, Clap-O’16. Simmons SDS-V - Alain Levesque17. Linn LM-1 - John Diligio (@javd007)18. LinnDrum - @zibbybone19. Sequential Circuits DrumTraks - AnalogAudio (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OxhRyEEZCYA)20. E-Mu Drumulator - @synthmania21. E-MU SP-12 - AnalogAudio (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rDpvKBoJjug&t=287s)22. Oberheim DMX - @synthmania23. Roland TR-909 - @DoctorMix24. Roland 707 - AnalogAudio (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0eRhSRHFkMA)25. Yamaha RX-11, Casio RZ-1 - @synthmania

As a tribute to Ryuichi Sakamoto on the first anniversary of his passing, Caro C talks to Richard Barbieri, Natalie Beridze and Carsten Nicolai, aka Alva Noto, three musicians who were fortunate enough to collaborate with him. Here, they share some insights into his mindset and methodologies.
Chapters00:00 - Introduction01:44 - Richard Barbieri09:04 - Natalie Beridze 19:45 - Carsten Nicolai / Alva Noto Ryuichi Sakamoto BiogRyuichi Sakamoto was a multi award-winning keyboardist, songwriter, composer and producer who along with Haruomi Hosono and Yukihiro Takahashi, became pioneers of the electronic music genre in Honsono's band Yellow Magic Orchestra.
Prior to his success with the band, Sakamoto earned a B.A. in music composition and worked as a session musician and producer. Alongside his success with the band, he continued his solo work, releasing solo albums and collaborations, experimenting with various genres and fusing traditional with electronic. This work led to him scoring more than 30 films throughout his career, his most famous being Merry Christmas, Mr Lawrence and The Last Emperor. In his later career he composed a multimedia opera, sampled a glass building for use in one of his works and traveled to the Arctic to record the sound of melting snow.
Richard Barbieri BiogHailing from London, Richard joined the British band Japan in 1975 and saw huge success around the world until they split in 1982. He continued to work with David Sylvian, as well as Sylvian’s brother, Steve Jansen on separate projects. He reunited with Sylvian, Jansen and bass player Mick Karn for the Rain Tree Crow project and continued to play with Steve & Mick as part of ‘JBK’. In the early 1990s, the three of them teamed up with Tim Bowness and Steven Wilson as part of No-Man and it was here that Barbieri and Wilson would begin their long musical association. Porcupine Tree had initially been a Wilson solo project but he recruited Richard in 1993 and over the next 17 years, became one of the shining lights of the neo-prog / pop scene, embracing a more heavy style as the years went on. Reuniting in 2021, they released the first Porcupine Tree album in 12 years with 2022’s ‘Closure/ Continuation’, a critically acclaimed return to form. Richard has a large body of solo work which he started to release in 2005 and still does to this day.
http://www.richardbarbieri.co.uk/
Natalie Beridze BiogNatalie Beridze is a Georgian music composer and songwriter. Since 2003 Natalie has been performing live concerts worldwide, and has been known as the first female electronic music artist from Georgia. From 2002-2008 she lived in Cologne and produced music under the artist name TBA. She’s released music in Europe on Max.E, Monika Enterprise, CMYK, Laboratory Instinct, CES Records DADO records, Apollo Records Chainmusic, CES Records and ROOM40.
In addition to her solo projects, Beridze has collaborated with artists such as Thomas Brinkmann, AGF (Antye Greie), Gudrun Gut, Joerg Follert, Marcus Schmickler, Nika Machaidze aka Nikakoi, Ryuichi Sakamoto, Gacha Bakradze, Alex Kordzaia, Annika Henderson, Antye Greie-Fuchs, Barbara Morgenstern, Beate Bartel, Danielle De Picciotto, Gudrun Bredemann, Lucrecia Dalt, Merja Kokkonen, Mommo G, Natalie Beridze, Pilocka Krach, Sonae. Beridze’s music is part of Adam Curtis’s recent BBC Documentary series “Can’t get you out of my head”. She also creates works for piano, orchestra and choir, which have been performed by a number of artists and the Tbilisi state opera orchestra. Her recent compositions for piano, keyboard, soprano and tape are part of the ongoing program of Zurich based KioskEnsemble.
Beridze, alongside Nika Machaidze teaches songwriting and music production at CES (creative education studio).
https://natalieberidzetba.bandcamp.com/
Carsten Nicolai / Alva Noto Biog
Under the pseudonym Alva Noto, Carsten Nicolai is one of the best-known representatives of contemporary electronic music. Conc

Henrietta Smith-Rolla, known professionally as Afrodeutsche, gives Caro C insights into her musical journey, from her introduction to the music industry in Manchester, finding her sound, getting signed to Skam Records and becoming a BBC 6 Music DJ with a prime-time Friday evening slot.
Chapters00:00 - Introduction01:22 - BBC 6 Music04:05 - Becoming A Musician06:40 - Getting Signed To Skam10:11 - Equipment Used On Debut Album13:59 - Using Synth Pads16:19 - More Recent Projects18:19 - Creating Sample Packs For Spitfire20:11 - Working With The Kyma27:09 - Being Productive32:30 - Balancing Different Projects
Afrodeutsche BiogAFRODEUTSCHE (Henrietta Smith-Rolla), is a British born Ghanaian/Russian/German artist, composer, producer, and DJ based in Manchester, UK. Her polyrhythmic compositions integrate a wide array of musical genres, including Afrofuturistic electro and techno, classical solo piano and Detroit legacy house; all memorable journeys into deep, abstracted sound.
Praised by the Guardian for enacting a new wave of club music, named by Dummy Mag as one of 2019’s most exciting artists, Afrodeutsche’s spectacular debut album ‘Break Before Make’ was released on the legendary Skam label in 2018, followed in 2019 with the debut release on Eclair Fifi’s label River Rapid and a much praised remixes for artists as diverse as Marie Davidson (Ninja Tune), Joep Beving (Deutsche Grammophon) and Nathan Fake (Cambria Instruments).
AFRODEUTSCHE has written and performed scores for films and documentaries including the BAFTA nominated ‘Kamali’ about a young girl skateboarder in India, and a live re-score of renowned Earth documentary ‘Baraka’ at The Royal Northern College of Music.
The soundtrack for ‘Kamali’ was released by SA Recordings in September 2020, alongside a sample library for Spitfire. The audio library illuminates much of Henrietta’s writing process as a self-taught musician and composer. Inspired by her work with the Kyma sound design environment, it’s a set of tools for composition based around colour. Her aim is to offer a new perspective and a sense of freedom for those delving into the library, no matter their level of experience.
In the summer of 2022 she scored Bottega Veneta’s SS2023 collection runway show, during Milan Fashion Week working, closely with head designer Matthieu Blazy throughout the process.
In 2023 she premiered a new string ensemble commission for MIF at the prestigious new Factory International venue. Henrietta lent her own vocals and piano playing alongside a sting ensemble from the Manchester Camerata, arranged and conducted by Robert Ames.
After years hosting a regular radio show ‘Black Forest’ on the renowned NTS, AFRODEUTSCHE now leads BBC 6 Music’s Friday night schedule with the Peoples Party, a peak time show that entrances listeners with her idiosyncratic combinations of crate dug party tunes from any point in the last 50 years, acid, rave, electro, breaks, footwork, ghetto tech and jacking house. In 2022 she has regularly presented BBC 6 Music live coverage of festivals at Glastonbury and Cardiff. At the end of the summer she curated the 6 Music stage for London festival ‘All Points East’. 
Her DJ style is a synthesis of Drexciyan and Underground Resistance-inspired selections, intercut with a variety of forward thinking UK techno such as Bola and Lego Feet. Forever evolving a fully live hardware show, AFRODEUTSCHE debuted it at the opening of CTM Festival at Berghain in February 2020, integrating classical piano and hardware along with visuals. 
https://linktr.ee/afrodeutsche
Caro C BiogCaro C is an artist, engineer and teacher specialising in electronic music. Her self-produced fourth album 'Electric Mountain' is out now. Described as a "one-woman electronic avalanche" (BBC), Caro started making music thanks to being laid up whilst living in a double decker bus and listening to the likes of Warp Records in the late 1990's. This 'sonic enchantress

Richard James Burgess is a man who wears many hats. In a career that spans over five decades, Richard was first and foremost a drummer. In the 1970s, he became a part of the London music scene as a session drummer, as well as with the ground- breaking band Landscape. 
Richard combined his passion for music, drumming and electronics when he worked closely with Dave Simmons on the Simmons SDS-V drum kit. After Landscape dissolved, he began to work more behind the desk, being one of the first to own a Fairlight CMI in the U.K. He would go on to work with the likes of Kate Bush, Spandau Ballet, Visage and Colonel Abrams.  The 1990s saw Burgess re-enter the world of academia and he would go on to write some of the most comprehensive guides on music production. Recently, Landscape released ‘Landscape A Go-Go’, a comprehensive 5 CD anthology of their work covering their entire recorded output between 1977 and 1983. 
Richard recently chatted to Rob from his New York apartment, where he talked about his journey with electronic music and his future plans as an author, musician and producer.
Chapters00:00 - Introduction01:49 - Looking Back On Working With Landscape04:43 - Using New Technology Live On Stage 06:19 - Starting The Journey With Music Technology08:00 - The Threat Of Electronic Drums And Drum Machines10:37 - Working With JJ Jeczalik12:25 - Involvement With The Simmons SDS V16:47 - Modern Electronic Drums18:03 - Using Drum Sample Libraries22:19 - The Fairlight CMI29:00 - The Introduction Of Page R32:23 - The Move Into Production37:51 - The New Romantics39:43 - Working With A Variety Of Artists42:07 - Richard Burgess The Author46:39 - A.I. In Music50:20 - Compensating Musicians For Their Work53:51 - Current Projects55:24 - A Landscape Reunion?
Richard James Burgess BiogBorn in London, Burgess’ family emigrated to New Zealand in 1958 when Richard was aged 10. He studied at both Berklee and London’s Guildhall before forming Landscape. His musical career included being a session drummer, producer engineer and inventor.
Burgess re-entered academia where he both lectured and advised on music production and the music business in both the U.K. and the United States. His books, ‘The Art of Music Production’ and ‘The History of Music Production’ are considered essential reading for anyone in the industry.
Richard remains entrenched in the music business to this day, chairing the American Association of Independent Music, having also served on the boards of the National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences and the Smithsonian Music Committee.
https://landscape.band/
Rob Puricelli BiogRob Puricelli is a Music Technologist and Instructional Designer who has a healthy obsession with classic synthesizers and their history. In conjunction with former Fairlight Studio Manager, Peter Wielk, he fixes and restores Fairlight CMI’s so that they can enjoy prolonged and productive lives with new owners. He also writes reviews and articles for Sound On Sound, his website Failed Muso, and other music-related publications, as well as hosting a weekly livestream on YouTube for the Pro Synth Network and guesting on numerous music technology podcasts and shows. He also works alongside a number of manufacturers, demonstrating their products and lecturing at various educational and vocational establishments about music technology.

www.failedmuso.comTwitter: @failedmusoInstagram: @failedmusoFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/failedmuso/