This man is cleverer than you

This man is cleverer than you

27 February, 2010 | 6.24AM

• Written by: Christen Reutens
• Filed under: Music News: black meteoric star, dfa, gavin russom

As each software update, new application, and memory increase makes the job of the dance music producer ever easier, there are a few who choose to ignore such ‘progress’.

Gavin Russom is one of them. Whilst most producers cheered at the advent of audio manipulation tools like Ableton Live, and digital recorders and MIDI controllers, Russom was too busy doing a vintage synth autopsy to notice.

‘Hang on’ he would have shouted, as the studio masses threw their 808s and 909s on to the synthesizer graveyard heap, otherwise known as eBay. ‘We haven’t even begun to explore the limitations of these machines yet!’

But wait, you analog-digital mongrels will shout, every producer has a bit of analog kit in the studio. Everyone dabbles in the past. Who cares?

Well, Gavin Russom does a lot more than just pay lip service to the gods of synthesizers past. He doesn’t just dust his 303 off, when a photographer from Future Music pops around to do a shoot.

As this video shows, Russom’s Black Meteoric Star project is 100% analog. His set up includes a Korg EX-800 module from the ‘80s, analog filters, a Sequential Circuits Six-Trak vintage synth, and a custom built box.

‘The box’, as he calls it, allows him to mix different sound sources together, and take control elements, such as gates and triggers, and use them to control the different sound sources.

Russom’s expertise in modular synthesis is so impressive, that James Murphy and the DFA posse had him build custom processing sequencers for them. They even nicknamed him The Wizard (although, that could also be because he has a long red mane).

And when it comes to his own music, well it’s packed full of analog goodness.

Last year’s self-titled solo release on DFA warmed the circuit boards with layers of machine funk and sequenced nonsense. It was a six-track collection of raw psychedelic acid house, quite different to today’s digitally cleaned releases.

Tracks like ‘Dream Catcher’ are definitive soundsystem testers, designed to cause the maximum amount of frequency damage with the minimum amount of sound effect trickery. You might as well lock yourself in an arcade game, a la Tron.

That’s not to say that a love affair with analog automatically promotes you to the premiership of electronic musicians. On the contrary, Black Meteoric Star isn’t for everyone, and his music does sometimes frizzle under the weight of its own power surges.

But one thing’s for sure, this dude is way cleverer and more patient than you, homes.

• (5) Comments
• (3665) Views
• Check out Black Meteoric Star on Beatport