crackle synth (2020, ongoing)
„Hyperconnected and Happily Panicking“ is a mini-festival taking place at Morphine Records Raum in Berlin-Kreuzberg on June 15th, 19th and 22nd.
The festival marks the release of Pablo Ulises Lienhard’s new record with the same title. The album features nine duos with artists from the Berlin and Swiss experimental and improvised music scenes, the link between all of them being Pablo’s use of a self-built approximation of Michel Waisvisz' crackle synth. The festival line-up includes most of the musicians that contributed to the project and will have them perform in new constellations.
The performances will range from abstract improvised electroacoustic music and noise to experimental drone, showcasing a wide array of less and more common acoustic and electronic instruments, as well as different practices and playing techniques. The fascinating, edgy and slightly obscure DIY instrument serves as a thread throughout the festival, just as it does on the record.
Hyperconnected and Happily Panicking will be available on LP and digitally by the Swiss label Wide Ear Records (WER073). Listen & pre-order here: https://wideearrecords.bandcamp.com/album/hyperconnected-and-happily-panicking
Saturday, June 15th
Chris Pitsiokos (alto saxophone)
Audrey Chen (voice, analogue electronics)
Wednesday, June 19th
Mariana Carvalho (voice, pot, water)
Beat Keller (feedbacker electric guitar)
Paula Sanchez (cello)
Saturday, June 22nd
JD Zazie (CDJs, turntable)
Alex Riva (recorders)
Florian Kolb (bagpipes)
Schrödinger or Boom Boom God (fake industrial folklore)
all events doors 8pm, show 8.30pm
10 Euro at the door
Morphine Raum,
Köpenicker Str. 147, 10997 Berlin
Hinterhof 1. Etage
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In 2020 I started some research on electronic DIY instruments that behave in pseudochaotic ways and have experimental interfaces. I stumbled upon the Dutch composer Michel Waiszvisz and his „crackle boxes“ and the „crackle synth“. As the original schematics of the instrument are hard to find, I ended up building an approximation of the crackle synth that includes some personal additions leaving me unsure whether I should even call it „crackle synth“...
I really like the very musical behaviour of this touch-sensitive instrument and I am particularly fond of using it in improvised duo settings, in which the instrument itself contributes to the dramaturgy of the performance as a third entity.
I am currently in the process of releasing a network album titled “Hyperconnected and Happily Panicking”, featuring nine different ‘crackle conversations’ that will be out in June 2024 via Wide Ear Records.
with Violeta García (cello), Mariana Carvalho (voice, pot, water, hydrophone), Alex Riva (plastic soprano recorder, glass ball lamp), Mazen Kerbaj (crackle synth), Chris Pitsiokos (alto saxophone), Audrey Chen (voice, ciat-lonbarde ‚fourses‘), Beat Keller (feedbacker electric guitar), JD Zazie (turntables, cdjs), ‚Schrödinger or Boom Boom God‘ feat. Florian Kolb (askomandoura)
recorded in Berlin, Bern and Zürich between October 2022 and June 2023
mixed by Varoujan Chetirian | mastered and cut by Rashad Becker
cover artwork by Mazen Kerbaj | graphic design by Pablo Ulises Lienhard
live-set with Beat Keller in 2023:
https://youtu.be/S8BYSbpScJY?si=ZamLtVuvm3V7SIAj
Earlier duo with Alex Riva (sonification of a painting by Marta Masternak)
https://youtu.be/rHw8XzPiZ3k
foto credits: Pablo Lienhard
„Hyperconnected and Happily Panicking“ is a mini-festival taking place at Morphine Records Raum in Berlin-Kreuzberg on June 15th, 19th and 22nd.
The festival marks the release of Pablo Ulises Lienhard’s new record with the same title. The album features nine duos with artists from the Berlin and Swiss experimental and improvised music scenes, the link between all of them being Pablo’s use of a self-built approximation of Michel Waisvisz' crackle synth. The festival line-up includes most of the musicians that contributed to the project and will have them perform in new constellations.
The performances will range from abstract improvised electroacoustic music and noise to experimental drone, showcasing a wide array of less and more common acoustic and electronic instruments, as well as different practices and playing techniques. The fascinating, edgy and slightly obscure DIY instrument serves as a thread throughout the festival, just as it does on the record.
Hyperconnected and Happily Panicking will be available on LP and digitally by the Swiss label Wide Ear Records (WER073). Listen & pre-order here: https://wideearrecords.bandcamp.com/album/hyperconnected-and-happily-panicking
Saturday, June 15th
Chris Pitsiokos (alto saxophone)
Audrey Chen (voice, analogue electronics)
Wednesday, June 19th
Mariana Carvalho (voice, pot, water)
Beat Keller (feedbacker electric guitar)
Paula Sanchez (cello)
Saturday, June 22nd
JD Zazie (CDJs, turntable)
Alex Riva (recorders)
Florian Kolb (bagpipes)
Schrödinger or Boom Boom God (fake industrial folklore)
all events doors 8pm, show 8.30pm
10 Euro at the door
Morphine Raum,
Köpenicker Str. 147, 10997 Berlin
Hinterhof 1. Etage
In 2020 I started some research on electronic DIY instruments that behave in pseudochaotic ways and have experimental interfaces. I stumbled upon the Dutch composer Michel Waiszvisz and his „crackle boxes“ and the „crackle synth“. As the original schematics of the instrument are hard to find, I ended up building an approximation of the crackle synth that includes some personal additions leaving me unsure whether I should even call it „crackle synth“...
I really like the very musical behaviour of this touch-sensitive instrument and I am particularly fond of using it in improvised duo settings, in which the instrument itself contributes to the dramaturgy of the performance as a third entity.
I am currently in the process of releasing a network album titled “Hyperconnected and Happily Panicking”, featuring nine different ‘crackle conversations’ that will be out in June 2024 via Wide Ear Records.
with Violeta García (cello), Mariana Carvalho (voice, pot, water, hydrophone), Alex Riva (plastic soprano recorder, glass ball lamp), Mazen Kerbaj (crackle synth), Chris Pitsiokos (alto saxophone), Audrey Chen (voice, ciat-lonbarde ‚fourses‘), Beat Keller (feedbacker electric guitar), JD Zazie (turntables, cdjs), ‚Schrödinger or Boom Boom God‘ feat. Florian Kolb (askomandoura)
recorded in Berlin, Bern and Zürich between October 2022 and June 2023
mixed by Varoujan Chetirian | mastered and cut by Rashad Becker
cover artwork by Mazen Kerbaj | graphic design by Pablo Ulises Lienhard
live-set with Beat Keller in 2023:
https://youtu.be/S8BYSbpScJY?si=ZamLtVuvm3V7SIAj
Earlier duo with Alex Riva (sonification of a painting by Marta Masternak)
https://youtu.be/rHw8XzPiZ3k
foto credits: Pablo Lienhard