Listen to the track first?
here "Proof that the latest audio
technology isn't a prerequisite to create arresting
audio. With the simplest of means - a child's toy -
these artists wrench compositions of complicated and
delicate beauty…" Tokuko Takagi, Thanhouser
I composed a track from The 'Gizmo Variations' with the
link above leading to the downloadable contribution. I
think it's probably my most musique-concrete-like
piece in my canon of works! The Gizmo Variations were
initiated by Fällt in 2001 after Fällt co-founder
Christopher Murphy stumbled across a childs' sound toy -
the TOMY Drum Gizmo - at a child's birthday party… His
initial email to the .microsound list read as follows: "I'm
not sure if any of you have seen this little marvel, but I
just stole one from a four year old (with his mother's
eager permission) at a childrens' birthday party I was at
with my son this afternoon.
"In a nutshell it's a handheld childrens' drum machine -
bright yellow and red - very simple. It features a 'MUSIC'
button that triggers a basic drum loop when you press it.
Nothing too special, but there's a fantastic little 'WARP'
dial which shifts the pitch of the loop (much like the
pitch bend dial on a synthesiser). Playing with this
elicits all manner of weird and wonderful sounds.
"In addition the 'Drum Gizmo' features seven 'docks' which
accommodate brightly coloured plastic plug-ins that, when
pressed, produce a variety of sounds from simplistic
percussive noises to old school beats + pieces to
Autechre'esque stutters.
"Each of these in turn can be pitch bent, the result of
which is a low-cost, hand-held device that can be coaxed to
produce all manner of weird and wonderful sounds.
"For the musician bent on travelling light or just looking
for some inspiration, this little gizmo is perfect.
"As soon as I heard it I wondered about putting together a
compilation on Fällt which uses only sounds extracted from
it - by whatever means - looped, played live, broken,
whatever…"
Drum Gizmos were dispatched to: Stephan Mathieu, People
Like Us, Klunk, kid606, Pita, Pimmon, Bovine
Life and Øivind Idsø. Five took up the challenge and the result
is the Gizmo Variations, warped child-like melodies
wrenched from a childrens' toy.
