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July 24, 2024

LEO NOVUS // Live @ Erica Synths Garage

LEO NOVUS performs with his costum Erica Synths system.

Modular synthesizers are at the heart of Leo Novus improvised live performances – with the use of drum machines, effects pedals and various Eurorack setups, Leo brings dance floors to life, navigating his freewheeling machines through different shades of textural ambience, the vines of retro-futuristic DnB and the industrial hammer strikes of analog techno. Leo is one half of Berlin/Riga collective ILLEGANCE (Techno/House/Folk/Experimental) - DJ x modular synth hybrid performances delivering ecstatic states through rhythmic blends.

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July 15, 2024

Matheus Souza // Live @ Erica Synths Garage

Matheus Souza, born in 1997 in Rio, Brazil, is a composer, improviser, and performer specializing in electroacoustic music. He combines live electronics, acousmatic, and mixed music, utilizing instruments like the Buchla Easel Command and laptops with Max or VCV Rack. Souza holds a Bachelor's degree from Instituto Villa-Lobos - UNIRIO and is currently pursuing a Master's degree in Contemporary Performance and Composition at CNSMD de Lyon. His debut album, 'Terra,' a 34-minute solo work recorded in one take, showcases his mastery of the Buchla 200/200e system. He has also contributed to the Buchlaïsms series with a piece using the Buchla 208c, underscoring his innovative approach to modular electronic instruments.

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March 26, 2024

Oğuz Büyükberber // Live @ Erica Synths Garage

As a multi disciplinary artist and a 95% blind individual, Oğuz Büyükberber aims to raise awareness to the wide spectrum of disabilities and their affect in people’s perception of reality. In March 2024 Oğuz Büyükberber was invited to participate in Erica Synths residency program. In the aftermath of the residency, he performed a live set with a Selmer Privilege clarinet, Erica Synths Syntrx II, Erica Synths Custom Eurorack performance system and Ableton Push standalone. Video art used in this performance is part of a multi media composition titled “Distal” by Oğuz Büyükberber, commissioned by YMusic and Spreehalle 2021.

Articles

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July 16, 2024 · INTERVIEWS

Matheus Souza: Bridging Classical and Electronic

Matheus Souza, born in 1997 in Rio, Brazil, is a composer, improviser, and performer specializing in electroacoustic music. He combines live electronics, acousmatic, and mixed music, utilizing instruments like the Buchla Easel Command and laptops with Max or VCV Rack. Souza holds a Bachelor's degree from Instituto Villa-Lobos - UNIRIO and is currently pursuing a Master's degree in Contemporary Performance and Composition at CNSMD de Lyon. His debut album, 'Terra,' a 34-minute solo work recorded in one take, showcases his mastery of the Buchla 200/200e system. He has also contributed to the Buchlaïsms series with a piece using the Buchla 208c, underscoring his innovative approach to modular electronic instruments.

All photos by Linda Dambeniece-Migliniece

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May 29, 2024 · ARTICLES

Erica Synths Studio

Erica Synths launches a residency studio at the headquarters in Riga, Latvia.

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May 27, 2024 · ARTICLES

Superbooth 2024

Take a look inside Erica Synths booth at the biggest annual electronic music technology fair - SUPERBOOTH!

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April 26, 2024 · INTERVIEWS

Dot Major: Creating with too much harmony

Throughout his career with the English indie pop band London Grammar, Dot Major’s love for underground dance music has been an informing factor in the group’s sound and his long-running and — until now — private solo music. In co-founding the group while studying at university in Nottingham, alongside vocalist Hannah Reid and bandmate Dan Rothman, Dot Major drew from his Guildhall training in classical piano and his passion for electronic music to assume the role of multi-instrumentalist.

Moving between modular hardware, keys and drums, he experimented with organic instrumentation and computer-centric beats, warping studio and live techniques to help create the group’s tender-yet-punchy sound.. And as the band shot to stardom, Dot Major started collecting modular synths to develop his solo material. Girts Ozolins talks synths, bands and cars with Dot Major.

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April 06, 2024 · INTERVIEWS

Gareth Genius Jones: When we collaborate, we are amazing

Gareth Jones has always found transformative inspiration in recorded music and has dedicated his life to the form. An initial training at the BBC in the late 1970s led to this 40 year arc exploring the art of capturing and creating magical vibrations inside and outside the recording studio. In the early 80s, the British producer and musician moved to Berlin for 10 years and worked at the legendary Hansa studio, where he continued experimenting with recording the space around the music (making, amongst many other projects, the “Berlin Trilogy” with Depeche Mode).

Ģirts Ozoliņš visits the music technology aficionado in his London studio and digs in the past, present and future of Gareth's inspiring path in music.

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March 27, 2024 · INTERVIEWS

Oğuz Büyükberber: Gestural Control of a Modular Synthesizer

As a multi disciplinary artist and a 95% blind individual, Oğuz Büyükberber aims to raise awareness to the wide spectrum of disabilities and their affect in people’s perception of reality. Previously featured on Erica Synths Garage about his exhibiton and live performance PROCESSING, in March 2024 Oğuz Büyükberber was invited to participate in Erica Synths residency program. In the aftermath of the residency, he performed a live set that is now featured on Erica Synths Garage accompanied by an interview on his process and time in Riga. The interview was held by Ģirts Ozoliņš. Later in 2024 Oğuz Büyükberber will release an album made with sounds predominantly recorded during his residency.

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January 24, 2024 · INTERVIEWS

France Jobin: Drones with a Drum Machine

France Jobin is a sound and installation artist, composer and curator residing in Montreal, Canada. Her audio art can be qualified as “sound-sculpture”, revealing a minimalist approach to complex sound environments where analog and digital intersect. Her installations express a parallel path, incorporating both musical and visual elements inspired by the architecture of physical spaces. Her works can be “experienced” in a variety of unconventional spaces and new technology festivals across the globe. Since 2009, her focus has been related to Quantum mechanics with many of her projects being inspired by theories related to topics such as vacuum decay, string theory and more recently, what she feels to be the most perplexing phenomenon in the world of the quantum , entanglement.

Jobin’s work continues to evolve as technologies enable her to create new environments and in the fall of 2023 she was the first artist to have a 5 day long residency at Erica Synths headquarters in Riga, Latvia. Eliza Aboltina met Jobin in Berlin right after her residency to learn about her experience and work process that resulted in an unlikely artefact - a drone music composition performed only with a drum machine, the Pērkons HD-01 .

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October 12, 2023 · INTERVIEWS

FENESTRA: Oğuz Büyükberber

As a multi disciplinary artist and a 95% blind individual, Oğuz Büyükberber aims to create safe space to explore personal trauma in an expressive way, while raising awareness to the wide spectrum of disabilities and their affect in people’s perception of reality, and therefor how much they influence communication. Reflecting on his own distorted and very limited sight, Büyükberber layers gestures, textures and ideas over one another in this ever evolving eclectic story, full of juxtaposed references. Eliza Aboltina and Girts Ozolins meet with Oğuz just hours before his show PROCESSING in Berlin's Spreehalle to speak about the evolution of his creative path, accessibility of tools to express himself as a visually impaired artist and how he made it in an industry that isn't always easy to navigate without the weight of disability.

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June 14, 2023 · INTERVIEWS

BLUSH_RESPONSE: Dimensional Research

BLUSH_RESPONSE is the vehicle for Cuban/American musician Joey Blush's research into the sonic dimension. With a unique approach in sonic experimentation and a penchant for defying conventions, he seeks to both influence and harness the unpredictability of complex electronic instrumentation, with an effort to create a direct expression of his emotions. This sonic ritualism is exemplified in his prolific reporting of fractalized audio sculpture.

Eliza Aboltina interviews BLUSH_RESPONSE to explore his past-presence-future in music, the role of interplay between technology and artistry, and his process behind the upcoming full length album DIMENSIONAL RESEARCH, to be released this summer on Erica Synths and Kontaktor Festival record label KONTAKTOR RECORDS. The label is a further extension of showcasing boundary-pushing artists who fearlessly challenge the status quo of contemporary electronic music.

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March 29, 2023 · INTERVIEWS

5 questions with... AUTHENTICALLY PLASTIC

Erica Synths launches artist feature series 5 questions with... Self-explanatory - we speak to breakthrough artists, pioneering musicians, creatives from different backgrounds and places and ask them 5 questions (that might or might not trigger a necessity for a few more and open up in-depth conversations).

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December 15, 2022 · ARTICLES

SYNTRX II: Patch Notes

Audible patch examples & explanatory patch notes for the Erica Synths SYNTRX II, created by Andris Indāns - also known as Gas Of Latvia.

Come back for a fresh dose of inspiration - patch notes will be updated on regular basis.

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December 13, 2022 · INTERVIEWS

5 questions with... NENE H

Erica Synths launches artist feature series 5 questions with... Self-explanatory - we speak to breakthrough artists, pioneering musicians, creatives from different backgrounds and places and ask them 5 questions (that might or might not trigger a necessity for a few more and open up in-depth conversations).

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December 01, 2022 · ARTICLES

ERICA SYNTHS TEAM GIFT GUIDE

With holidays around the corner, get inspired with Erica Synths Gift Guide. 8 ideas for perfect holiday gifts from the Erica Synths crew!

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November 14, 2022 · INTERVIEWS

5 questions with RUSSELL E.L. BUTLER

Erica Synths launches artist feature series 5 questions with... Self-explanatory - we speak to breakthrough artists, pioneering musicians, creatives from different backgrounds and places and ask them 5 questions (that might or might not trigger a necessity for a few more and open up in-depth conversations).

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January 06, 2022 · INTERVIEWS

INSIDER

This music is intentional.

Girts Ozolins speaks with Kris Vanderheyden - the man behind aliases like Insider, Atomic Fusion, Techno Jesus & Hank Style among others. With more than 20 million record sales & a career spanning over 3 decades, Vanderheyden is considered to be one of the leading pioneers of the Belgian electronic dance music scene.

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December 01, 2021 · ANNOUNCEMENTS

Producer challenge FILTRS

Electronic music production competition for independent, underground and adventurous electronic music producers based in Latvia.

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June 11, 2021 · ANNOUNCEMENTS

Insider Live

Insider performs live for Erica Synths Garage Special.

Premiere 11th of June 2021 6PM CET

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June 10, 2021 · INTERVIEWS

Platon Buravicky & Dirty Deal Audio ambisonics studio

Erica Synths' Eliza Aboltina spoke with Kristaps Puķītis - the founder of Dirty Deal Audio, Gustavs Lociks and Platon Buravicky to learn more about the past, present & future of spatial sound.

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April 26, 2021 · ARTICLES

Black System III: Patch Notes

Audible patch examples & explanatory patch notes for the Erica Synths Black System III, created by Andris Indāns - also known as Gas Of Latvia.

Come back for a fresh dose of inspiration - patch notes will be updated on regular basis.

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February 26, 2021 · ARTICLES

The Allegorist

Anna Jordan - better known as The Allegorist is a musical storyteller creating auditive visions. Known best for her full length album Hybrid Dimension I 2021 promises to be a year full of vivid releases and a new era in the artist's catalogue.

Erica Synths' Eliza Aboltina talked to The Allegorist about overcoming the fear of creating, ideas that have to live in the shadows and her roots in Eastern Europe. The Allegorist transparently shares her journey towards Berlin, music production and finding one's purpose through art.

Feature photo: Anna Jordan Project

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February 18, 2021 · ARTICLES

SYNTRX: Patch Notes

Audible patch examples & explanatory patch notes for the Erica Synths SYNTRX, created by Andris Indāns -also known as Gas Of Latvia.

Come back for a fresh dose of inspiration - patch notes will be updated twice a month!

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December 14, 2020 · ARTICLES

ConCord - Sinfonietta for 16 Oscillators

ConCord – sinfonietta for 16 well-tempered oscillators was composed and performed by composer Platon Buravicky during his residency in Erica Synths Studio n November 2020.

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October 29, 2020 · ARTICLES

KIWANOID - residency at Erica Synths studio

The first artist residency at Erica Synths studio with multichannel meta-artist kiwanoid.

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September 04, 2020 · INTERVIEWS

JakoJako

JakoJako is a Berlin-based musician who primarily performs live and extensively uses modular synthesis in her music.

Feature photo from Telekom Electronic Beats

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September 01, 2020 · ANNOUNCEMENTS

WALL OF FAME: WINNERS

Wall of Fame contest & giveaway has come to its end! We are grateful to everyone who participated and contributed to improve the further development of the new Erica Synths Garage platform.

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August 31, 2020 · ARTICLES

ESG in the club

Erica Synths Garage returns in the club for a two day get-together to showcase diverse live electronic music

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August 18, 2020 · INTERVIEWS

TM404

Andreas Tilliander - the Swedish producer whose extensive and diverse catalogue of music includes his work under monikers like TM404, Mokira, Rechord and Lowfour can easily be considered one of the contemporary maestros of analog gear.

Feature photo by SOTARN

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August 03, 2020 · ANNOUNCEMENTS

WALL OF FAME

Your chance to win Pico System III, Erica Synths merchandise & vinyl records!

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July 22, 2020 · INTERVIEWS

Headless Horseman

Enigmatic yet bold, astonishing yet persistent - one of the foremost techno live acts of the recent years in an arguably the most in-depth interview out there.

Feature photo by Mino Kodama.

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July 10, 2020 · INTERVIEWS

Martin Gore

Erica Synths' Ģirts Ozoliņš visited Martin Gore in his Los Angeles' studio in January 2020 to talk about early influences, production & song writing process, life changing documentaries & what Martin finds to be the biggest threat for the future of the music.

Photos: Travis Shinn

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June 26, 2020 · ARTICLES

All Flesh is Grass

‘All Flesh is Grass’ is a collaborative project by: Una Hamilton Helle, Eltons Kūns, Uma Breakdown, and curator Erik Martinson. Sound of the project is created by Erica Synths

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June 17, 2020 · ARTICLES

Music Fundamentals and Music Making Elements by Pedro Eustache

From principles of Musical Phenomenology, to Improvisation, to other relevant practical aspects for ALL musicians - a lecture & workshop by Pedro Eustache.

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June 11, 2020 · INTERVIEWS

MIXHELL

As Erica Synths have just released the vacuum tube based eurorack system Fusion System II we collaborated with MIXHELL's Iggor Cavalera to showcase the sounds and capabilities of the latest incarnation of Erica Synths signature audible realms of unprecedented pressure.

Erica Synths' Eliza Aboltina virtually sat down with the two producers to talk lockdown creativity, synths, prejudice in the electronic music scene among other things.

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May 20, 2020 · ARTICLES

Jean Michel Jarre x Erica Synths

Erica Synths team visits Jean-Michel Jarre in his studio in Paris to talk about inspiration, creativity, synths and future of the electronic music and to play a live modular jam.

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May 20, 2020 · ARTICLES

FUTURE FOLLOWS US

Future Follows Us was premiered in the concert hall Hanzas Perons on fourth of February 2020. Commissioned by Artes Liberales, composed by Platon Buravicky it was performed by Pedro Eustache, Sinfonietta Riga & Normunds Šnē. The project was initiated and produced by Erica Synths.