Don Buchla passes away. Fabric raises money. Elektron announces Analog Heat. Brian Eno bans Israeli company from using his music.
Synth pioneer Don Buchla, 1937 – 2016. Don Buchla, one of the most influential pioneers of electronic instruments, has died from complications with cancer. Buchla was a key player in the development of analogue synthesis and created a plethora of instruments. They included his much-loved modular synths and 1972’s Music Easel. The Guardiae pay tribute to Buchla here.
Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith and Suzanne Ciani pay tribute to Don Buchla. Sunergy brings together Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith and Suzanne Ciani to discuss their work together. In light of the recent passing of Don Buchla, and as Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith is a prominent Buchla 100 user, the film is dedicated to his memory. Watch the full movie above.
Fabric launches crowd funding campaign to cover legal costs. London club Fabric, whose licence was recently revoked, are raising money to cover the legal costs required to fight their closure. The club has started a crowd funding campaign, asking members of the public to support their cause in light of recent events. Find out more here.
Assessing the nighttime economy. Meanwhile, The Financial Times takes a closer look at the UK’s dwindling nighttime economy in a video report. With 3,144 venues in 2005 and 1,733 in 2015, the video explores what the closures mean to the country’s economy and also what night life contributes to the country. To find out more, watch the video here
Brian Eno prohibits the use of his music. Brian Eno has intervened to deny the right for an Israeli dance company to use his music for a series of performances. The company is scheduled to appear in Italy, but after Eno learned the event was sponsored by the Israeli embassy, he withdrew permission. Eno is a supporter of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions campaign and said: “I was not aware of this use until last week, and, though in one way I’m flattered that you chose my music for your work, I’m afraid it creates a serious conflict for me.” Find out more here.
Acid house pioneer Earl Smith Jr of Phuture passes away. One of the originators of acid house, Earl Smith Jr aka Spanky aka DJ Spank-Spank, has died. Bandmate DJ Pierre said: “Spanky is the reason why the group Phuture was formed. The world has no idea how talented he was and how much I depended on him… He will be in a better place. Love each other people. Love life.” Find out more here.
Eventide’s Quadravox plugin. Eventide have announced their diatonic pitch shifter is now $49 Until October 31st. Find out more and download the free demo here.
Disco Demolition. At the peak of the Disco Sucks movement in the 1970s, rock DJ Steve Dahl staged one of radio’s most infamous publicity stunts: blowing up disco records at a Chicago White Sox game. Widely considered a racist and homophobic act, the demolition could also be considered the first event in a dance music revolution. Red Bull TV tell the story here.
Elektron announce Analog Heat. Elektron have announced their latest product. Analog Heat is a hardware effect unit described as a “fiery furnace destined to make you music glow”. Described as both an audio enhancer and an audio destroyer, you can hear it above and find out more here.
Win a $2,000 complete sonic makeover with Softube. Focusrite and Softube are currently offering Focusrite customers the chance to win a suite of instruments and mix tools. To enter, head to the Softube competition page here.
Undrgrnd Sounds present Analogue Presets. Lush, rich, analogue-style sounds for Sylenth, inspired by classic hardware synths and designed for use in techno and house. Find out more here.