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Fpr Immediate Release
Sound-Collage Artist MoldoverPresents Interactive Audio Installation,
“The Octamasher”
New York City musician Moldover is well known for pushing the boundaries of live sound manipulation. He performs with custom electronics that instantly rip apart hundreds of cultural sound bites and re-assemble them on the fly. With his new installation piece, The Octamasher, Moldover puts his live sound-twisting tools into the hands of everyman.
Defined as an interactive audio installation, The Octamasher is perhaps better understood as a new kind of musical instrument. As many as eight different people can play it at the same time. Eight intuitive interfaces, a library of familiar sounds and a little computer assistance make it simple to play and understand. No musical training or previous “Octa-Mashing” experience required.
So how does it work? Simple. Eight unique controllers have been designed, each perfectly suited to its musical function (i.e. drums, vocals, scratching etc.) The eight controllers are all connected to one computer brain. The brain synchronizes tempos, matches keys and resets each controller when no one is playing it. While the brain takes care of the basics, players are free to manipulate higher structures of music. Instead of playing individual notes, they trigger loops, slices of sounds or entire songs. Custom knobs and faders control the complexity of drum patterns, the tone of bass-lines, or the reversal of vocal samples. Even with eight players mashing away, the computer brain keeps everything synchronized and harmonized. The Octamasher turns advanced music-making techniques into child’s play.
Moldover explains, “I built The Octamasher to show people how much fun these tools can be. It’s a seriously powerful musical instrument but it’s still totally simple and intuitive”. The design of the Octamasher puts people before technology. Moldover is enthusiastic about it’s social implications as well, saying, “it’s so cool to see groups of people playing and interacting with each other. Giving people a shared, musical experience like that can reach them on a really deep level”.
The Octamasher has already appeared at festivals and parties throughout the US. Moldover continues to develop the installation and with new sounds and new technology. Explore the websites listed below for more information on Moldover’s Octamasher.
moldover@octamasher.com