VOICEOVER: John Cale on Spiritual Panic

             Nothing frightens me more / than religion at my door
                              "Hanky Panky Nohow" from PARIS 1919 (1973)

POCKET PORTRAITS: The Banishment of Vanity

ENCLOSURE: MONOROCKET Eurorack Case

Need a way to carry around the noise?  The above Monorocket powered case  fits the bill perfectly as far as I'm concerned.  The Mission 6c black (2001mA) is an extremely portable Eurorack format 90 HP enclosure  with universal power and bus boards that not only fit standard Eurorack sockets,  but allow use of Analogue Systems' modules as well.  It is also deep enough (on the left and right sides) to accommodate deeper modules like the Bananalogue Serge VCS and Elby Designs ChaQuo.  Sliding nut mounting solves the problem of gaps between some stubborn modules.  Now it's easy to bring the noise!

THIS IS HOW WE DEFORM: Bananalogue Serge VCS

This rare and versatile module from Bananalogue is sometimes compared to the MakeNoise Maths (another rarity at this point) due to its expansive utility and propensity for producing sonic mayhem.    The seeds of its creation originated in the 1970s,  from circuits designed by Serge Tcherepnin for his Dual Universal Slope Generator.  The VCS is an adaptation rather than a copy,  and functions as CV generator,  LFO,  VCF,  envelope generator,  trigger delay, and more.  This module is both  functionally and physically deep,  so only purchase if your patience and cabinet permit.

DESTINATION: CONTROL in Brooklyn

Brother ether^ra and I made our first joint visit to the latest in a group of modular synth hotspots in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. CONTROL is located on Lorimer Street,  a colorful working class neighborhood not yet touched by the unreasonable scale and visual "boiling" seen in other parts of Williamsburg.  Owners Darren and Jonas welcomed us to their tiny,  yet beautifully minimal environment.  Two Monorocket cases filled with various Eurorack modules invited active patching,  re-patching,  and listening.  Brands such as Synthesis Technology,  Malekko,  Manhattan Analog,  Doepfer,  Intellijel Designs,  Pittsburgh Audio,  4MS,  MakeNoise,  etc,  etc,  etc.  filled out those powered cases.  I left with a Morphing Dual LFO and the Cloud Generator by Synthesis Technology,  and a 4 HP mixer made by MA,  and with the knowledge that I'll be returning again very soon.  Best of luck with your wonderful new store,  Darren and Jonas.  The east coast can definitely use you.

             CONTROL                                                           www.ctrl-mod.com

             416 Lorimer Street                                                info@ctrl-mod.com

             Brooklyn,  NY 11206                                             open 11AM -  8PM

                                                                                        closed Mondays

                                                  

                                                  

HAPPY FATHERS' DAY from This Second Sleep

In a world where dysfunction is the rule rather than the exception,  Fathers' Day holds a special place in my heart and my psyche.  Brother ether^ra and I are products of a Fifties tyrannical tightrope approach to child-rearing that has colored,  for better or worse,  all our choices in "adulthood".  We were blessed to have lived through the societal upheavals of the Sixties where we could plainly see that there were other ways to approach life on planet Earth.  Given the mistakes that we have all made,  it's a wonder any of us can function at all,  and the choice of non-procreation seems a wise one.  Happy Fathers' Day! PHOTO:  (L to R)  This Second Sleep,  Dad,  and ether^ra circa 1955.  You got to love the cars and the head gear!

SH*T ART #2

I find that the most compelling  artists often riff on ideas like transience/permanence, conceptualization/manifestation,  verism/subjective truth,  etc.  That most people don't care at at about those shifting realities seems of little consequence to those who equate "faithful" visual representation as the pinnacle of  "serious"  art-making.  Given a general mindset that still requires the above criteria  to be labelled as "Art",  we are faced with an endless production of what can only be labelled "s**t art".  Whether produced for therapeutic purposes,  be they physical or mental,  there is still a glut of bad sunsets,  ill-conceived abstractions,  and overly cute pet portraits.  With this mind,  a look back at Italian conceptualist Piero Manzoni's "Artist's Shit" (1961)  is strangely instructive. The cans' exacting measurement,  presentation,  production,  and sale make for an intriguing critique of both art-making and the art market.  Our 21st century frenzy of capitalist desire without any thought of consequence make this "art" nearly emblematic of those desires.  Strangely enough,  the richness of these objects is seen in their ability to spark speculation,  transformation,  and ultimately,  poetry.  Now that really is quite the improvement over a mundane sunset.