BuchlaWorks: Video/Music

RICHARD: As the notes on the Early Works page indicate, my first real compositions were created on the Moog Modular synthesizer, and I have had a sympathy for analog systems and techniques ever since. But once personal computers, MIDI, and digital audio processing became viable tools for composing and performing electronic music, I moved away from modular analog synthesizers, which weren't affordable for the average musician and were never really intended for live performance anyway.

However, one consequence of my collaborations with Jordan Rudess, particularly in our live electronic performances in which Jordan plays his MiniMoogs, is that I came to miss the immediacy and organic sound of analog modular synthesizers. As a result, I decided to order a Buchla 200e Electric Music Box, which I received in June of 2007. I chose the 200e not only because of its compact size and functional density, but also because it's the only patchable modular synthesizer with preset memory, making it ideal for live performance.

The video and audio clips on this page document my first work with the Buchla 200e.

NOTE: Richard made the Buchla 200e his instrument of choice marrying it with the Haken Continuum. Subsequently he added his films to his live performances. In the background of the first two videos here is the camera set up for his film "One Year" which was accepted for presentation at T-Minus 2008, an annual festival of timelapse films, and was awarded Best Experimental Film at HDFEST in Portland, OR.

MUSIC:  Early Works │ Walking Slowly Backwards │ ROMworks │ Five Nocturnes │ WDFH August 25, 2005 │ KymaWorks │ BuchlaWorks