These tracks are some initial experiments for a new project I’m working on called The Frankenstein Three where I interpolate the performances of live improvising musicians in real time to create abstract electronica by using their signals to create control voltages that augment each other's performances via modular effects and filters. For These experiments I’ve use tracks from Wham, Yoko Ono, Screaming Jay Hawkins etc instead of live musicians to help build a live modular tool box for eventual live performances, and I’m simply publishing them to give potential bookers an idea of how the work might sound once fully developed.

The Frankenstein Three

The Frankenstein Three; is a new work by Lucas Abela that explores the aural possibilities of forming symbiotic improvising trios, that have the fundamental elements of music; timbre, pitch and dynamics, performatively carved up and stitched back together in real time to form a Frankenstein Sounds. For example, imagine a trio made up of a saxophonist, pianist and guitarist. Extract the dynamics from the piano using an envelope follower, the frequency of the guitar using a frequency tracker. Then using the control voltages [CV] produced from these performances, process the timbre of the saxophone. The result will have the timbre of the saxophone, pitch shifted by the guitar while the pianos dynamics modulate its volume and duration. These techniques can theoretically combine a trio in a total of six ways. So, in addition to creating a symbiotic solo up to five different accompaniments are created simultaneously, all from the same source.

Beyond the interpolation techniques to symbiotically entwine performances, Abela adds additional layers and depth to the sound generated by having the three performers’ performances augment each other’s audio using CV derived from each other’s signals. Each strum of the guitar, tap on the key of blow on the sax will create an envelope replicating its attack decay sustain and release that can be used to open (or close with negative envelopes) any parameter within a modular system. [To be clear when referring to modular, zero synthesis is involved, the work uses modular effects as they have CV controllable parameters, alongside various modules that extract CV from external sources used to create synthetic versions of instruments by using an envelope follower to mimic dynamics while a frequency tracker regulates an oscillators pitch. Instead, here you can think of the saxophone [or any other rich timbral instrument] as being the oscillator, while the piano [or any other dynamic instrument] takes on envelope generation duties as the guitar [or any other instrument capable of a monophonic output] sequences pitch.] For example, two CV versions of the piano’s signal could be produced, one positive and one negative that open four Voltage Controlled Amplifier’s being fed the saxophone signal as its pitched up and down simultaneously by positive and negative versions of the guitar frequency. Mixed in stereo this will cause the two versions of the saxophone sound to shimmer both left and right and right and left along with the piano’s dynamics, the pitches weaving back and forth like a tremolo in syncopated rhythm matching the pianos performance. Using techniques like this all manner of experimentation can be pursued as almost every parameter of a modular system has some sort of CV control. A sax could be used to open and close a gated reverb, the harp could sweep a low pass filter in different directions over each side of the stereo field while simultaneously side chaining a compressor, the pitch of the sax might control the feedback rate on a stereo delay that’s having its left and right delay times controlled by contact mics on different parts of the pianos soundboard. All this will cause the already altered timbre of the saxophone to be rhythmically torn apart as the trio’s performance stretches and squashes each and every part of various parallel chains in time with the performance. In the simplest terms each and every element of the trio’s performance can and will be used to control parameters within an effects rig, turning something up/down on/off. So even though most acoustic results of the trio’s performance will be lost their symbiotic relationship with the final sound remains, the improvisations dynamics rhythmically altering the performance, resulting in an organic sounding anomalous avalanche of seemingly impossible to play but very much performed electronica.

Working with pick-up bands formed in collaboration with hosting promoters, venues or festivals the trio will have no set line up or instrumentation to ensure each and every performance is unique & differs tremendously depending on each collaborator’s instrumentation and style. Their instruments will not be mixed traditionally, the three performances instead will have their signals be fed into a modular tool-box Abela has devised specifically for the purpose of extracting CV from each individual performer. When performed Abela will slowly create elaborate patches that gradually transform the original instrumentation into what should by the time their finished sound like complete utter nonsense.