Roos, Kristen – Universal Synthesizer Interface Vol 2 [2xLP] - New LP

In 2019, Vancouver artist Kristen Roos came across a floppy disk for sale on eBay containing the Commodore Amiga version of Laurie Spiegel's 'Music Mouse'. This was one of the first intelligent instruments for personal computers, created by Spiegel in 1985 as an interactive and playable MIDI sequencer for the 68k era of Macintosh computers. Curious, he bid on the item and ended up winning it for a few dollars. Upon investigation, the simple and intuitive nature of its interface appealed to him, especially in comparison to the dense ‘menus within menus’ design of contemporary DAWs, and he soon began to seek out other programs from this ‘first wave’ of music software development.  The result of over a year of study, experimentation, and creation (often involving direct correspondence with the software creators themselves), 'Universal Synthesizer Interface' is Roos’s homage to this early era of algorithmic music making.

From the delicately unfolding beauty of Midi Draw, to the wavelike pulses of Interactive Phrase, each of these tracks was composed and sequenced with a single piece of vintage MIDI software. The result is a stunning two-volume collection of electronic music that melds the technology of the past with the current sensibilities of one of Vancouver’s most talented creators.

 the much-anticipated second volume of Kristen Roos’s 'Universal Synthesizer Interface' series; an ongoing audio exploration of early algorithmic MIDI sequencing programs for personal computers. Where Vol I showcased a wide variety of vintage programs, Vol II sees Roos narrowing his focus down to two of his personal favorites: Laurie Spiegel’s 'Music Mouse' and Frank Balde’s 'Diablo.'

One of the first ‘intelligent instruments’ ever created for the personal computer, Speigel’s 'Music Mouse' was, for many people in the 1980s, a remarkably intuitive introduction to the world of MIDI sequencing. Mouse position controls the placement and parameters of MIDI data, allowing the user to quickly select and alter the scale, chord voicing and volume of their work on the fly. The keyboard is used as a control panel, with various shortcuts outlined on a digital ‘cheat sheet’ provided with the software. While the program is limited to outputting four separate MIDI notes (which can then be ordered into short musical phrases or loops) within these constraints lies an enormous capacity for musical variation and complexity. Roos plays the software with a light touch, maintaining a delicate balance between playfulness and precision.

Frank Balde’s 'Diablo' allows for MIDI data to be literally ‘drawn’ into a window very similar to early digital paint programs like MacPaint. The user can then record the data into loops, alter the note parameters (tonality, duration, velocity, tempo, etc), and capture ‘snapshots’ of their settings that can then be clicked between in real time. The program is limited to three separate loops at a time, but like Music Mouse, its limitations conceal a surprisingly powerful tool for musical expression. In Roos’s hands, the repeating loops overlap and intertwine with one another like patterns on a digital loom, slowly forming themselves into enormous tapestries of sound. 

'Two of the most beguiling electronic albums of recent years.'
-THE WIRE

'There are hints of Steve Reich, Terry Riley and even minimal techno here, but Roos's sound world is his own. A feat of combining dusty technology with modern smarts.'
-ELECTRONIC SOUND


All tracks recorded by Kristen Roos.