David Tudor electronics

I was extremely fortunate to be able to work with the David Tudor electronics (and their caretaker, Ron Kuivila)
for my senior thesis at Wesleyan University.


My written thesis, Electronic Friends: David Tudor and Live Electronic Music, documents my
work in realizing a performance with the Tudor electronics, as well as the relationship
and lessons of Tudor's work to contemporary subcultures of circuit bending and noise.

Below are recordings from my thesis concert - click on the links to download.  
These are lo-fi web versions, and they're all a little quiet at the beginning, 
so make sure to listen farther in.

Electronic Friends: David Tudor and Live Electronic Music
March 1, 2008
CFA Cinema
Wesleyan University, Middletown, CT

Dana Matthiessen - microphones
Brendan O'Connell - tape

Feedback generated from two microphones moving in coordinated patterns
is manipulated through lengthening and shortening of tape on two parallel
tape delay systems, resulting in an electronic music controlled purely through
motion.


Dana Matthiessen - handmade analog console
Roderic O'Connor - Supercollider with handmade analog console
Brendan O'Connell - David Tudor electronics
Anthony Zannino - mixer

Three parallel analog feedback loops are mixed through a touch patch-bay.  
As new configurations are created through physical touch and motion, the 
systems interact chaotically.  A comparable digital system run in the 
Supercollider musical programming language is controlled by another 
touch patch-bay with chaotic interactions and signal bleed between control
voltages.

Dana Matthiessen - feedback electronics, circuit-bent toys, handmade chaotic tone/noise generator
Brendan O'Connell - tape delay/feedback system, handmade chaotic tone/noise generator

A reworking of my noise band, Jock Jams, into a David Tudor galaxy, using
notated materials and a new attitude.


Some photos from the Tudor electronics
Wesleyan University Electronic Music Studio


A very simple Tudor circuit - just a passive filter/phase shifter with switches to control
frequency range.  Tudor would use filters to "break up" signals in feedback loops.

Gordon Mumma built a lot of electronics for Tudor - this Cybersonics Output Splitter provides
four individual amplifiers and outputs for one in signal.

Cybersonics ring modulator

Drawing from my own experience in circuit bending, I designed a touch patch interface for interacting
with multiple feedback loops of Tudor electronics.

This amazing Don Buchla touch interface was an inspiration for my own touch-sound work.  Buchla's system
can provide up to 16 individual control voltages - each touch pad has four poles - multiple CVs are generated
when you touch any pad, their values derived from your proximity to a pole.

A mess of Tudor electronics - Tudor used lots of commercial guitar effects in his feedback setups.


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