In early July, I stopped by Fault Radio HQ, located on the border of Chinatown and the financial districts. Nestled in a cozy space on Commercial St, just up from Empire Park (see Emperor Norton), I spoke with the manager, Mo, about the history of the non-profit Fault Radio and their DJ showcases. He mentioned they are open to Eurorack Modular performers too. I asked to perform, and he booked me for August 11th.
I was excited to play for FR and to showcase a sample pack I’ve been working on this year, which features audio quotes of my brothers saying different phrases. I spent more time programming SD cards for Tiptop Audio ONE and Make Noise Morphagene than setting the sequencers, which included a chain of PNW, O_c (piqued), & Rène. Each practice, I added to the patch, primarily using the 7u Shared System and expanding to 2hp’s lunch box for additional clock outputs from Mordax Data (which is more than just an oscilloscope).
I arrived early, at 5 pm, to see the first duo of DJs, Tastemaker & Kimosabe, switching off on turntables with groove tunes. The house manager, Anthoni, was very kind. We discussed experimental electronic music, and he enlightened me about the music scene in China. I set up my rig and used photos from earlier to recreate the patch between the cases, adding a bit more chaos to my set.
During my set, the next DJ, HLDRVSCN, arrived. When I finished, he exclaimed, "Crazy!" As he took to the decks, I packed up my synths, thanked Anthoni, and left during the hard-wave DJ times.
In hindsight, I should have incorporated more beats and rhythm into my set. It’s always rewarding to play live, and Fault Radio offers a warm atmosphere for the electronic music community.
