Prototypes _ Interview With Roebin de Freitas

You seem pretty open to using anything to make a noise that can make a noise.. Have you changed much since you’ve got back into the studio?

I have been gathering more interest in granular synthesis and started using the Kyma language. I’m still a novice, though. Especially because the language goes so deep. I’m still at the level where I combine prototypes and build my own library. I’m not at the stage of coding anything myself. I’m not sure if I’ll ever take that step anyway as I lack the time to do it. What I do want is to get around some basic OSC (Open Sound Control) so I can integrate Kyma more into my set up. It won’t be easy. The learning curve is pretty steep.

I would love to use it in my live act but at the same time I’ve taken a route where I’m banning the laptop on stage, at least as Roebin de Freitas, so we’ll see where this all takes me.

I have some unreleased stuff that already has some Kyma in it I’m really proud of. Just need to think of the right time, format and place to release it.

http://www.symbolicsound.com/cgi-bin/bin/view/Company/WebHome

Any recent cool purchases, hardware or software? What was the last thing that you got or rediscovered that was ‘uitstekend’?

Besides Kyma in the studio I bought an Octatrack to form a bridge between studio and live performance. I want to have elements of my releases in my live but want to be able to step away from them so performing live becomes a game of recognition vs. improvisation. I believe you should have a reason to see me perform instead of just putting on my tracks.

Derrick was saying that there was some Unit 81 material scheduled for release in 2015. Man.. that seems like a long way away! Can you tell us anything about it? Is it still a bit of a work in progress?

Well, time flies. The tracks that came out on Singularity just now are maybe a year old and RASA01 has a track from my seminal album so that one’s maybe three or four years old. I consider myself lucky they still sound fresh as when they came out!

As far as Unit81 goes, the plan is to work on a duo live performance with two lap tops and one (or more) Sherman(s). We are contemplating adding interactive visuals. Not sure if we’ll do it ourselves or get somebody else on-board. We would have to start learning that from scratch. So if anyone who lives maybe within a 150km radius of Brussels reads this and wants to have a go, please contact us!

We hope to have a performance ready early ’15 and have a release coming out around the same period as well. Maybe we’ll look for a label or possibly we’ll just release it ourselves. Like I said, I hate networking and I’m bad at it. So why not take matters in our own hands. Know your strengths, beat your flaws.

Sound advice right there!