Author: catsynth

  • UBRADIO SALON 399: Alien Artifact

    UBRADIO SALON 399: Alien Artifact

    UBRadio Salon 399

    Last weekend Polly Moller and I joined the hosts at UBRadio Salon for two hours of live experimental electronic improvisation. UBRadio Salon is a project by the folks who brought us Big City Orchestra UBIUBI and we excited to have the opportunity to play on their 399th consecutive weekly show.

    Polly Moller and Amanda Chaudhary at UBRadio Salon

    We began with a version of our improv piece Ode to Steengo, with Polly on voice, bass flute and guitar, and I performed on modular synth and Moog Theremini. It became a quartet with electronics, and DIY sonic objects. Overall it was one of the best versions of this piece we have done! We immediately sequed into an extended coda with abstract improvisation. The second set was open improvisation as well, with Polly providing vocals and narratives throughout. In between were clips from National Lampoon radio broadcasts as well as bits of the original Stainless Steel Rats series, on which the spam text of Ode to Steengo is based.

    You can hear the show in its entirely via this archive.

    Thanks to our hosts Ninah Pixie and DAs for having us on the show. I look forward to their upcoming 400th episode, and we certainly hope to come back and play again.

  • CatSynth pic: Mr. Spock

    Mr. Spock and synths.

    Please meet Mr. Spock, a synth cat. Submitted via Twitter by iceman bob, who suggests that he “let mr. spock adjust oscillators and see what happens.” We at CatSynth look forward to hearing the results 🙂

  • Wordless Wednesday: R is for Robot

    R is for Robot

  • CatSynth pic: Cat bites Synth (Roland SH-32)

    Cat bites Roland SH-32

    From ɗʀ ɛxiรtɛɳz on Twitter.

    Find out more about the Roland SH-32 here.

  • CatSynth pic: Merce and Synth (for Luna)

    Merce and DIY Synth

    A sweet picture from Merce the cat with an interesting DIY synth on Twitter in support of Luna.

    “@catsynth thanks for the updates. Glad to hear Luna is in good spirits!”

  • An Update on Luna

    Luna had her first chemotherapy treatment yesterday. It went well and she is now back home.

    Luna chilling out after chemo

    She has been eating well, and is affectionate and at her normal activity level, all of which are good signs amidst an otherwise difficult situation. Also a good sign was that the chest X-rays before the treatment were clean showing no visible cancer in the lungs – spreading to the lungs is the main danger for her type of cancer – but that does not preclude microscopic cells or clusters like those found in her lymph node after the surgery. So the chemo is the prudent and necessary step.

    The technicians also went out of their way to mention both to me and in the official report what a sweet cat Luna is, she is very affectionate and quite mild-mannered. It’s a reminder of what a special companion she is and why we have undertaken this care to continue to give her a good life. And we have been spending quite a bit of time together lately, as I take care of my health and pull back from some activities.

  • Wordless Wednesday: I-70 in Utah

    I-70 in Utah

  • CatSynth Video: Moog Sub Phatty Purrs

    CatSynth Video: Moog Sub Phatty Purrs

    From Brandon Turner on YouTube, via matrixsynth.

    “I made a purring patch that my otherwise rambunctious cat rather enjoyed.”

    The sound from the Sub Phatty is a machine-like but timbrally reasonable approximation of purrs, and the cat seems to really enjoy it.

  • CatSynth pic: Studio cat and Roland Juno 60

    Roland Juno 60 and studio cat

    No this is not Luna. But it is another gorgeous black cat in a studio, with a classic Roland Juno 60 synth. From wakeupdreamland on Instagram.