SSDL1754 music for apps: iVCS3 - an eternal album



release date: 20140417 label: pureambient

last updated: 20140426 current count of tracks: 8


hello and welcome to the newest eternal album, “music for apps: iVCS3" featuring one of the most interesting emulations of a vintage synthesizer that I've ever seen, a true classic - the amazing, groundbreaking VCS3 synth.

the legendary VCS3, as used by brian eno when he was part of roxy music, where he would often use it to "process" phil manzanera's guitar on stage, as well as play it; by peter sinfield from the soundboard for 1971 king crimson shows, using the VCS3 to "process" ian wallace's innovative drum solo; and by pete townshend of the who, to create the unusual solo that is the centrepiece of one of his most famous songs, "baba o'riley" - and by many many other artists in the late 1960s and throughout the progressive age - the first half of the 1970s.

now it's 2014, and the VCS3 has been transformed into an application for ios, and the detail and care that's been put into this emulation of the 1969 synthesizer, is beyond astonishing - it's absolutely amazing. it looks, feels and sounds like the real thing - that goes without saying. but the sound of it is so utterly unique, and it's one of those musical tools that is actually more suited for the turning of knobs, and the processing of other external signals - rather than just being "played" like a synthesizer.

for me, this is a true challenge, and this is the application synth that is going to make me truly understand modular synthesis, and during my first recording session with the iVCS3, I learned an enormous amount about synthesis 1969-style. I really cannot explain using just words, the visceral animal that this synth is, and it has so much personality, and an amazing, unique sound that is like no other electronic device I've ever heard.

using this synth to play ambient / drones - well, it's a match made in heaven, and even with only the most rudimentary understanding of the complexities of the iVCS3, I was able to create some pretty interesting, textural drones, and I plan to spend a lot of time working with this synth, and learning a lot more about it's particularly idiosyncratic design - and, make a lot more music with it.

these pieces are unlike anything in my catalogue, which I think is wonderful, and I have characterised them as mostly, drones; perhaps some can be considered to be properly "ambient" - but "drone" is good enough for me!

back to 1969 now - and hence to the music...


dave stafford
pureambient world HQ
2014


upload history:

20140425 initial upload - 3 new tracks
20140426 upload - 5 new tracks