Consumer Electronics Make Music 207
metoikos writes "Forget about hacking your Gameboy -- what about cat toys or Teddy Ruxpins? Any of these is fair game to a circuit bending hobbyist. Essentially, circuit bending is the art of making interesting noises come out of re-engineered consumer electronics, mostly toys.
Bending recently came into the spotlight when a number of news organizations discovered the 2004 Bent Festival at New York's Tank.
Derek Sajbel, a bender from California, is writing a book/doing a documentary on it." BishopBerkeley writes "Circuit bending has apparently been going on long enough among a large enough contingent of benders to merit a weeklong festival dedicated to bending circuits. The art is largely a process of making musical instruments by 'bending' the circuits of fairly common electronic instruments and gadgets. According to this article in the New York Times people have been making rather interesting music by modifying the strange toys with which a lot of us grew up. If you're near Manhattan, and you didn't know about the Bent Festival, then think about going. You can find more info at the official circuit bending web site."
Benders? (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Benders? (Score:1, Insightful)
So If I.. (Score:5, Funny)
waits 10 seconds...
ASDLJGFLKJ#$()!*U@#$!)ADFKOH#@$I!HJ@#KJRQWEKJFA
Einstuerzende Neubauten (Score:3, Interesting)
Try listening to Einstuerzende Neubauten. [neubauten.org] I'm sure that they've used something that sounds like that in at least one of their songs.
And that way you can save yourself another keyboard.
Re: (Score:2, Funny)
Translation: (Score:1)
Happens I know a little Keyboardese...
KEYBOARD: "Arghh! It hurts! It hurts! Oh the pain!"
There's more than one way to bend a PCB (Score:5, Interesting)
Electronic toys have also been known to melt (well, 'bend') when the batteries start running low.
Re:There's more than one way to bend a PCB (Score:1)
Wow, That's Awful (Score:4, Insightful)
If that's all it takes to be called music, then I'm going to record all the noises my car makes and sell a CD of it.
Re:Wow, That's Awful (Score:4, Informative)
There's a group from Norway called Voice Crack, who create experimental electronic music from what they call "cracked everyday electronics." One album of theirs I heard used everything from a broken Speak and Spell to an electronic greeting card. Definitely not music as we know it, but interesting if you are drawn to that sort of thing. I imagine they would love being at something like this (and if they were there, correct me, please!).
Re:Wow, That's Awful (Score:1)
Check out www.enginemusic.com [enginemusic.com] for instance.
By the way, I don't understand the appeal.
Musique Concrete (Score:1)
Actually, there is an entire genre of modern-classical music, Pioneered by Pierre Schaeffer [lvc.edu] where the music is made primarily, or exclusively from found sound. It celebrated it's 50th anniversary a couple years ago or something.
A show on a local radio show does Musique Concrete once a month. One of my favorite shows was musick made entirely from train sounds. It's funny that I thought o
A Mic, a Grinder - now that's Awful (Score:2)
At maximum amplification.
Until it stopped working.
As GX is fond of saying...
A xylowave occurs everytime an effect has no cause, or a cause has no effect. [jupitter-larsen.com]
Re:Wow, That's Awful (Score:2)
About 20 years ago, there was a fad for this, using dozens of effects pedal modules and noise generators. It was called "power electronics".
It sucked.
Hacking Teddy Ruxpin... (Score:3, Funny)
Current 93 in the Talking Christmas Tree (Score:1)
Reminds me of at a place where I worked they had a toy singing Christmas Tree. I can't stand Christmas Music for personal reasons, but to make a long story short I really wanted to put in a tape of Current 93 [brainwashed.com], especially their gothic folk music stuff. (Not as much for the spooky noise. Falling Back in Fields of Rape might be appropriate.)
Never did it. Would probably get me fired. Example Lyrics. [jetfraer.net] I particularly like Hourglass [jetfraer.net] which has accous
Re:Current 93 in the Talking Christmas Tree (Score:1)
Re:Current 93 in the Talking Christmas Tree (Score:1)
Yea, I would have left for a party an hour ago but I enjoy discussing experimental music almost as much as I do listening to it.
OMIGOD! LOOK!
I thought I saw Bakunin's ghost... realistically, though, I probably didn't.
Goodnight everyone!
HP Printer Easter Egg (Score:4, Interesting)
Printer music (Score:5, Informative)
Not quite as good, but still worth buying, is "Xerophonics [negativland.com]"
Of course, circuit bending is how popular electronic music started. Kraftwerk were building their own instruments from scavenged parts [technopop.com.br] in 1970.
Re:Printer music (Score:2)
F1 Engine music (Score:1)
Formula One company Asiatech made one of their engines play The Saints Go Marching In" [nasaracing.net].
Details here [nasaracing.net] (at the bottom).
Printer music, Xerophonics, and Droplift (Score:1)
Also, a project everyone can download for free is Droplift [droplift.org] which is created by multiple peole inspired by Negativland. (Of whom everyone should have downloaded their illegal U2 [negativland.com] single by now. It's about a little dog named Snuggles.)
Re:HP Printer Easter Egg (Score:2)
Re:HP Printer Easter Egg (Score:1)
Re:HP Printer Easter Egg (Score:2)
you do it like this [eeggs.com] and it works on a lot of HP's older scanners..
This is not as good (Score:2, Interesting)
Learn from the masters (Score:5, Informative)
Bah. If you want to know circuit bending, check it out from the real masters...
I've been torturing electronics for years, and have some personal instruments that make sounds no commercial synthesizer could ever do.
Re:Learn from the masters (Score:2)
Probably because nobody in their right mind would actually want their synthesizer to make those kinds of godawful noises.
The first thing I thought of (Score:2)
was that Big Mouth Billy Bass [techweb.com] someone modded a long time ago to say "Pork!
I hope they don't get sued? (Score:4, Offtopic)
For those of you who don't remember that device (and I have only vague recollections of seeing it on TV myself), the Teddy Ruxpin was a stuffed bear which moved its mouth in sync (more or less), to the words of any cassete placed in the device. When packaged with a book & tape, it would, in effect, read the book to the child.
Now I imagine that by now you're wondering what on earth this could possibly have to do with copyright law, right? Allow me to quote from this [cio.com]: And we had best get used to unusual decisions like this. Unless you live to be over 70 (and barring a change in the law), absolutely nothing copyrighted during your lifetime will ever pass into the public domain.
Of course, if you're a US voter, and you would like to help end some of the copyright inanity (the DMCA, the NET Act, etc.), feel free to petition your representatives. You can call them for free via this 1-800 number (they will help transfer you to the proper representative): 1 (800) 839-5276
Re:I hope they don't get sued? (Score:2)
Except that the person you quoted above got it all wrong. "The Teddy Ruxpin copyright owner then successfully sued other companies who marketed tape cassettes with additional stories in them for Teddy Ruxpin toy bears to read with animation." [gwu.edu]
In other words: Someone selling or distributing unauthorized recordings designed to be u
Re:I hope they don't get sued? (Score:2)
So, according to the TR owners ANY audio tape infringes their copyright!
I thought maybe it was a trademark issue, that the tapes were marketed using the TR name, but your link makes it seem that wasn't the case. The case hinged rather on the similar effects that could be acheived with the tapes, rather than their marketing.
I'm agog
"But that's not music" (Score:4, Interesting)
Remember, people used to say the same thing about Rock N' Roll, which in my opinion is a completely stale genre. Try and open your minds a bit to things you don't understand.
Re:"But that's not music" (Score:2, Funny)
Re:"But that's not music" (Score:1)
Re:"But that's not music" (Score:2)
Don't forget the band "Art of Noise." =)
Re:"But that's not music" (Score:1)
Re:"But that's not music" (Score:2)
Re:"But that's not music" (Score:2)
Same thing that was said about rock when that was the new sound.
For that matter, same thing that was said about Classical when that was the new sound. I don't remember the specifics (anyone care to fill in?) but IIRC early/primitive music (as I believe is the correct name) only used a subset of the notes we use today. When these fancy-pants upstart noise makers came along with their full scales everyone thought the world was coming to an end.
Re:"But that's not music" (Score:2)
Re:"But that's not music" (Score:2)
No, not in the least.
I'm neither stating nor implying that if people think of it as unlistenable noise it's destined to become the next big thing.
In fact, I think everything that needs to be said about this can be summed up thusly
"One man's poision..."
Re:"But that's not music" (Score:2)
If making great money as a session player is wasting my time, I would hate to see what creating crap "music" is.
following in the footsteps of long-dead musicians.
They may be long-dead in some cases, but at least they were musicians.
Don't get mad at people who listen to truly new music.
I *create* truly new music all the time, it's called a "jam session." You should listen to one some time.
Notes, shmotes.
I suppose off-key singing in a karaoke
Re:"But that's not music" (Score:1)
Earlier this year I went to a presentation of three one act ballets . The company is a major, tours worldwide, and has significant funding. The new artistic director is a young guy of his mid thirties. Anyway the third act was an incredibly choreographed presentation. Beau
Re:"But that's not music" (Score:2)
It fits none of the classical defs of music. It is random electrical noise caused by torturing circutboards. Hell, if this is music, the sound of a cat pluged into the mains would be a fscking symphony.
Re:"But that's not music" (Score:2)
I personally can't understand why this debate rages on so long. It's a very, very simple issue.
To determine whether something is art:
1. Does it mean anything to you?
Yes: It's probably art.
No: It's probably not art.
For example.. let's say you're wandering through a museum, and you come across, say, a toilet seat painted dayglo orange and nailed to the ceiling...
If your reaction is "Oh. It's a toilet seat. Painted orange and nailed to the ceiling. How
Re:"But that's not music" (Score:2)
But only an "artist" can successfully sell it as art.
Well (Score:2)
I think indus
Re:Well (Score:2)
I mean I can play an executable as PCM or PWM data, that doesn't make the resulting noise music.
Very true. I've experimented with something similar myself, loading NES roms into an oldschool MOD composer. 19 times out of 20 I ended up with completely uninspiring chaos, or a crashed program. But that other 1 time out of 20 made it worthwhile. It's the old monkeys and typewriters thing - generate enough random noise and you'll find something interesting eventually.
The thing
cell phone feedback (Score:3, Interesting)
When the call is established, put the cellphones in... er... a 69 position I guess. Microphone to speaker. You should get some pretty cool feedback this way, and you can 'control' it (sort of) by moving the phones around.
I recently covered the Pixies song "Alec Eiffel" for an online Pixies tribute album (link omitted... don't need the
grib.
Re:cell phone feedback (Score:1)
Theremins and other benders (Score:4, Interesting)
Led Zeppelin used it to great effect. Here is the Beach Boys using it in Good Vibrations [theremin.info]
One would venture to call this a 'bender' device since it is functionally the same as a metal detector, and works by sensing the proximity of the player's hands to the antennae.
Any other similar devices or early bender apps?
Re:Theremins and other benders (Score:2)
Re:Theremins and other benders (Score:2)
Re:Theremins and other benders (Score:2)
Well, it's theremin-esque simply due to it's portamento sine wave sound. So kinda-sorta would be my answer.
Re:Theremins and other benders (Score:3, Informative)
Absolutely! If you want to build your own, check out the PAiA Theremax [paia.com] or Bob Moog's own Big Briar Etherwave [bigbriar.com]. I've built several of both, and recommend the Big Briar as being a better quality instrument as well as more professional kit. The PAiA has a real geek factor to it though, probably good for Slackware fans ;)
If you're interested in a cheap but fun project,
Industrial (Score:4, Interesting)
It started at least 15 years ago (though some other versions may have started earlier)...in Germany.
They recorded (sampled) industrial noise, and mixed it together with vocals, percussion (indeed, some bands used the sampled noises AS vocals and percussion) to make music. Skinny Puppy is a great example.
Just thought I'd bring it up.
Re:Industrial (Score:2)
Hard Drives as speakers? (Score:2, Funny)
http://www.andrew.cmu.edu/~hsakr/hdspeakers/hdspe
I saw this a while back, you gotta check out the movies clips.
*not* the official web site (Score:4, Informative)
Aphex Twin Anyone? (Score:1)
DMCA violations galore. (Score:1, Funny)
Casio VL-Tone (Score:2)
Despite tone generators worthy of a Nokia cell phone, a rhythm box that made a 606 sound like John Bonham, and a four-banger calculator to boot, they sounded like God's Own Voice when run through a Roland Space
Yesterday's News (Score:3, Insightful)
I was doing this when I was a kid (Score:3, Interesting)
Funny how this is suddenly a fad.
Re:I was doing this when I was a kid (Score:2, Interesting)
There are whole genres of music, like glitch and noise that make use of things like this regularly.
How many remember Boston - the band that is (Score:1)
Re:How many remember Boston - the band that is (Score:1)
future purposes (Score:1)
The truth about circuit bending... (Score:2)
However, that isn't the case most of the time. Usually these people have little or no electronics knowledge. Instead, they do a lot of drugs and poke around the live circuits with spare bits of wire.
At the end of it, all they're left with is some broken toys and hopefully a recording of an oscillator burning up as it's shorted to something else.
Speaking of Making Music out of Toys... (Score:2)
here's one [inmusicwetrust.com]
here's another [hybridmagazine.com]
Re:Uhm ok... (Score:1)
Re:Uhm ok... (Score:1)
Re:Uhm ok... (Score:2, Informative)
Not to start a dictionary war but from websters:
Re:Uhm ok... (Score:1, Funny)
Re:Uhm ok... (Score:1)
Re:Uhm ok... (Score:2, Insightful)
Wrong. Let's say you play eighth notes at 120bpm for three minutes. Even if you restrict yourself to the 7 tones in a particular key instead of a full twelve tone octave, that's 1.3 x 10^325 possible songs.
Okay, so most music has a bit of repetition in it, so let's say the verse lasts 30 seconds out of that song. You still have 1.5 x 10^54 possible verses. And I'm not even taking chords into account.
Only non-musicians thi
Re:Uhm ok... (Score:2)
(C) + few possible melodies = chilling effect (Score:2)
Okay, so most music has a bit of repetition in it, so let's say the verse lasts 30 seconds out of that song. You still have 1.5 x 10^54 possible verses.
True, but different verses may still sound roughly the same. Though your melody has several dozen notes in it, a judge will often take only about eight of them when determining what melodies are "substantially similar" for copyright purposes. Now you're down to under six million melodies. Compare that to how many songs have been written (over 4.5 million
Re:Uhm ok... (Score:2, Interesting)
OK, so how do you feel about Laurie Anderson [laurieanderson.com], who plays hand-made experimental violins and Pauline Oliveros [deeplistening.org], who plays Accordian, but not in such a way that you can tell it is an accordian?
And out of curiosity, how do you feel about the
Re:Uhm ok... (Score:2)
OK, so how do you feel about Laurie Anderson, who plays hand-made experimental violins and Pauline Oliveros, who plays Accordian, but not in such a way that you can tell it is an accordian?
Playing old instruments in new ways is what keeps music alive and thriving.
but usually more complicated than "a
Re:Uhm ok... (Score:1)
It doesn't suprise me but if you're into Classica I might have expected you to have heard of Wendy Carlos. Switched on Bach was the first full album made completely from a Synthesizer. It was also the first classical album to go double platnum or something.
Laurie Anderson is an Avantgarde performance artist who had a one hit wonder in the 70s (Oh Superman) which got her a 8(?) album contract with Warner Brothers with com
Re:Uhm ok... (Score:1, Flamebait)
I don't know for sure, but she pretty much sets off my gay-dar. At her last concert she mentioned her partner, something I don't recall on any of her albums, all of which I own. Anyway, she didn't mention the sex of her partner, but I got the impression it's a she.
And she did a split album [hipsurgerymusic.com] with William S. Burroughs and John Giorno, both of whom I know are gay so um....
But then Laurie is definately on the skinny side so I don't think I would describe
Experimental Hand-made Instruments (Score:2, Informative)
Re:Uhm ok... (Score:1)
Okay - here's one for you: VNV Nation [vnvnation.com]. (the one song they actually have on the site is an old remix and not representative of their work really). Maybe not for everyone, but they put on the most amazing live show I've seen, and it's pure electronics with vocals. Quite literally life-changing for me.
I see no problem with looking
Re:Uhm ok... (Score:2)
Re:Uhm ok... (Score:2)
On a side note, I am so sick and fucking tired of electronic "music." I don't know about you, but I want my music to be played by a fucking MUSICIAN, wielding an instrument like an extension of his body and putting all the feel and soul into it that ONLY a human can. THAT is music, not a bunch of wav files you strung together in Acid and called a song. Some guy sitting at a keyboard is not a musician, okay?
While I agree in spirit, I can't disagree more in implementation. I've recently adopted midi sequen
Re:Uhm ok... (Score:2)
Re:Uhm ok... (Score:2)
Re:I don't know what to say. (Score:1, Funny)
Re:I don't know what to say. (Score:2)
And the two groups both have very different interpretations (and uses for!) "toys".
I love Slashdot. Without it, I might not be producing bizarre music from electronic childrens' toys, making my computer look like it's actually made from wood, and learning why running for geeks is at all different to running for anyone else!
Re:I don't know what to say. (Score:1)
I physical hurts my ears and my son looked at the computer like it was about to blow up.
I was and is just horriable sounding.
Re:I don't know what to say. (Score:1, Interesting)
Ahem. It's not the music it's you. You need to open your mind up because you obviously don't understand our music. Try opening your mind instead of criticizing. I suggest you use a twelve gauge. Which reminds me, I just made a 19 minute excursion into the realm of mimiced 12 gauge sounds created with a bent Simon and some baked orange peels. I'd post a link but it's beyond yo
Re:I don't know what to say. (Score:2)
Re:I don't know what to say. (Score:1)
Ethno Techno Squeako Skweeko (Score:1)
I haven't checked out the sites yet, does that mean they have mp3s to download (look of excitement).
You probably wouldn't like the song Ethno Techno Squeako Skweeko by God is my Co-Pilot. [hise.org] It is a 3 minute song that sounds kinda like Techno, but with Clarinet and lots of squeaky toys.
Some people find it annoying but it is one of my favorite songs of theirs. Most of the
Re:Ethno Techno Squeako Skweeko (Score:1)
Besides, not all techno is bad. Some of the 0db sections of techno sound GREAT!!!!
Re:Ethno Techno Squeako Skweeko (Score:1)
You might not appreciate the way it is played by them but yea, I love reed instruments, and I bought myself a Clarinet and have been wanting to learn to play it.
Also out of curiosity, have you ever listened to John Zorn [tzadik.com], who is probably more famous for noise projects, but also does some really cool Klezmer-Jazz music?
Even in the noise projects I think he primarily plays Saxophone.
Re:Ethno Techno Squeako Skweeko (Score:1)
There's a page of "circuit bending" MP3s here [f7sound.com]
Although I'll warn you in advance that you may be overcome with an overwhelming desire to:
Gotta go - I've got apologies to make to my speakers.
Re:A certain kind of bent (Score:4, Funny)