Imagination fixated upon whether a machine can have a soul. Enhance. The Maschinenmensch in Metropolis, Rachel in Bladerunner, Data in Star Trek, Caprica Six in Battlestar Galactica, Delores in Westworld, Agent K in Bladrunner, and Roland TR-808 in practically every cool electronic beat since 1980… Manufactured from components, programmed, sequenced, predictable, yet so creative and versatile, it’s hard to think of it as just a toaster. The 808, analog drum machine and rhythm composer, did not set out to sound like a real drum kit. It was originally intended to serve as a handy, artificial accompaniment for when the human drummer was indisposed. The sounds it produces are unmistakably fake from an array of hardware electronic sine-wave circuits, as opposed to digitally recorded samples. Seeing a recent documentary about 808 beats made me realize how the sounds completely pervade the spectrum of my musics. Rare, collectible and pricey, you can play with it here for free. The creators didn’t envision all that could be done with it, its sub-bass and crickety cymbal sounds are ubiquitous. Dare I suggest, it has a life of its own. For example: Continue reading →

I imagined Athens, Georgia as exotic and magical when I was a kid. Wherever the B-52’s and R.E.M. were from must be another dimension where the rules are upside down. (Before a certain point in time) the B-52’s were plunky punk rockers and R.E.M. were consummate jangly bohemians. I know their legacy now is they were corny and pretentious, but I cope by filtering them out past the 80’s. I’ve always kept a thought in the back of my mind that it would be an adventure to see Athens for myself, find some traces of the old music scene, and test whether the laws of physics are all the same there. Wouldn’t you know it I got the chance for an extended visit to the area the last few months, to the CSRA, and I made a trip (figuratively down the Atlanta Highway) to the heart of Georgia. Yep, Athens is in fact a trendy college town that adores bulldogs. Continue reading →