Enigmatic Dutch synth inventor Gijs Gieskes has a musical instrumental response to the strangeness of late capitalism – and it’s oddly poetic. And patchable.
It’s a synth about finance. There’s a millennial, lost in an electronic forest – with a gender encoder you can use to set their gender. (Needs a “f*** your gender” panic button – 2.0?) There’s a Fed chairman – in a socket, so you can replace him. (Let’s be real – probably indeed “him.”) There are household investors. The US central banking system is dominant enough, so that the value of everything is more or less controlled by how you set that parameter. There’s a VCO fan, blowing air into the economy. Erm… currency. There’s a YouTube section – influencer controls. I mean, there are just so many details…
It’s late-stage capitalist global crisis circuit bending – patching:
Fortunately, unlike YouTube, all the commenters are friendly and on point.
It sounds like mayhem. Click the “fingered feedback” and “fallout to influence” sound samples. Full details and those audio links (they’re there, just squint or click randomly):
https://gieskes.nl/instruments/?file=insolventunclesam
Battery-powered. It’s the monetary mayhem that gets really funny. Sort of Atari Punk Console meets Hellmouth found in an abandoned Radio Shack while listening to an Alan Greenspan episode of the Freakanomics podcast. (Feel free to use that as the CDM review quote, Gijs.)
INFLUENCEv: CV input for the vactrol that is connected to the delay.
INFLUENCE: CV input for the vactrol that is connected to the delay.
HELLFREQv: CV input for HELLICOPTER speed and permanent voltage output.
HELLGATEv: Gate input for HELLICOPTER envelope.
HELLGATE: Gate input for HELLICOPTER envelope.
MILLGATEv: Gate input for MILLENNIAL.
ALLOUT^: Audio output of all audio pushed up to be used as gate or CV signal.
HOUSE#1^: Gate output for LFO #1.
HOUSE#2^: Gate output for LFO #2.
HOUSE#3^: Gate output for LFO #3.
i1: Mono input line level (only the tip of audio is used).
i2: Mono input line level (only the tip of audio is used).
i3: Mono input line level (only the tip of audio is used).
USB: DC 5V output.
VOLUME: Line level dual mono output (can drive headphone).
ELECT: gate input for tactile switches or push button .
Here is a useful schematic for you, too. Uh….
Gallery:
Oh, you want to buy one? It’s gradually inflating in value with each unit sold – the manual explains how to purchase:
The price inflates by 2% for every sold unit (you can also by a more expensive unit if there are still cheaper ones available).
But honestly, it’s still better than buying an NFT.