New Monthly Lecture Series at eSymposium

photo by T Young

Saturday, 3/5/11, 12-3 PM
Lizard's Liquid Lounge
3058 W Irving Park Rd.

For almost two years now various hackers, circuit benders, engineers, inventors, sculptors, and musicians have been meeting every Saturday at the weekly eSymposium, a lateral teaching/learning fab lab that focuses on experimental electronics and other DIY approaches to the "acquired technology arts."

Starting this Saturday, we will focus the first eSymposium of each month on a particular guest speaker to give an informal lecture about some technique, discovery, or passion that they have been pursuing.

This Saturday, our first speaker will be Tomer Gal (of Welcome Tomerica). He will be speaking about, and showing concrete examples of, using control voltage to synchronize various devices, different sources of control voltage, and using home made midi-to-control voltage conversion hardware to control multiple hacked and bent devices.

An excellent example of Tomer's technique in action can be heard in the audio archive of his stellar performance from this year's MEECAS.

We are currently booking lectures for this series. If you would like to be a guest speaker at the eSymposium please send a message via our Contact page.

TOYDEATH's 1st U.S. Tour Comes to Chicago!

Saturday, February 19, 10:00 PM, $7.00, 21+
The Viaduct Theatre, 3111 N Western Ave., Chicago

"...unique stage show... a deluge of circuit-bent sounds..."
~ The Chicago Reader

TOYDEATH, the cartoonish Australian-based band, bring their unique stage show to the U.S. for the first time. They exclusively use a collection of modified toys to create their music and perform fully decked in far-out costumes. 

LORD OF THE YUM YUM,
(aka Paul Velat) provides more smiles per gallon of free water than any other comedic, experimental performer who scat/throat-sings classical and popular melodies, in the greater Midwestern area. We are very lucky to have The Lord as our Host and our Master of Ceremonies for the evening!  

CMKT4, from DeKalb, IL, use guitar, bass, drums, synthesizers and circuit-bent toys to create textured anthems and crunchy, bluesy numbers bleeding into electronic, semi-improvised Kraut rock. 

ROTH MOBOT use a unique strategically improvised “recursive jazz” to control common discarded electronics and the misplaced humorous language of toys, to create symphonic soundscapes.

New Experimental Electronics Workshops

Workshops offered at
The Old Town School
Of Folk Music 
4544 N Lincoln Ave 
Register at 773-728-6000

More information on our Workshops page

 

Introduction to Circuit Bending Workshop
Sunday, February 6th, 2011, 1:00 - 4:50 PM
Take apart your old toys and make a brand new musical instrument

How to Build a Simple Contact Microphone Workshop
Sunday February 20th, 2011, 1:00- 2:50 PM
Contact mics are inexpensive, easy to build, and can be a source of new sounds for recording, art installations or live performances.

Intermediate Circuit Bending Workshop NEW!
Sunday, March 6th, 2011, 1:00 - 4:50 PM
This class will focus on the next level of electronics hacking. How to read and write electronics schematics, how to assemble and use home made oscillators to get more out of your devices. 

Build Your Own Portable Amplifier Workshop
Sunday, March 13th, 2011, 1:00 - 4:50 PM
This workshop will guide you step by step through the process of building your own standard, battery-powered, portable amplifier.

2010 - The Year In Review

2010 was a pretty good year for Roth Mobot.
Below is a list of some of the year's highlights.

None of it would be possible without your support.
From both of us - Thank you.

• We were well received in Paris
• Landed our first Chicago Elementary School gig
• Were called to audition for a program on the History channel
• Auditioned for America's Got Talent
• Conducted over seventy workshops and have added new advanced classes
• Doubled our weekly eSymposium membership
• Added to our mailing list
• Received new commissions for bent devices including Marco Benevento, and New York's School of Rock
• Mixed our first studio recording ("Stations" -- soon to be on iTunes, etc.)
• Quadrupled our followers on SoundCloud, YouTube, and Twitter
• Increased our number of live performances including our first EarthDay Virtual Concert
• Presented to a sold out crowd at TEDx Windy City
• Won the Best Presentation Award at google's ORD Camp 2010
• Were nominated for a Prix Ars Electronica Award in Austria
• Had our five year anniversary
• We were included in, and designed graphics for, a new "net label" compilation, Delete Function Vol. 1
• Conducted multiple lectures, including Columbia College and the Chicago Rotary Club
• Were involved in a University of Chicago Master's Thesis on Sociology (it received an 'A')
• We made tons of new friends
• Successfully increased the level of interactivity at the annual MEECAS
• And finally had some much-needed dental work done

LIVE at the ESS

Chicago's Experimental Sound Studio invited Roth Mobot to one of their fundraisers to demonstrate their approach to music composition on home made experimental electronic devices and circuit bent toys.

The evening began with a set by Dan Mohr on keyboards, looper, and vocals, and Adam Vida on drums. (google them, they have multiple sites each).

After Intermission, Tommy and Patrick rolled out a 20 minute improvisation on some of the themes used in Smile, SReach Out (Disconnect), and Hamburger Drive Thru.

Alex Inglizian recorded the set. He did a stunning job of capturing our sound. Nothing has been altered from the original recording.

New Workshops

Introduction to Circuit Bending
Sunday, Nov. 28, 1:00 - 4:50
The Old Town School of Folk Music
4544 N Lincoln Ave
Register at 773-728-6000

Take apart your old toys and make a brand new musical instrument! Circuit bending is the art of modifying existing battery-powered electronics (like children's toys, guitar effects units, inexpensive battery-powered instruments, etc.) to create unique musical instruments by adding wires, knobs, and switches to control new connections within the device's pre-existing circuitry. Enjoy bizarre sounds, electronic loops, sampling, distortion, and other easy to create effects. At the end of this workshop you'll be able to identify and explore the basic components of a typical circuit board, install an output jack, switches, body contacts (and more!), and control a world of new sounds. No previous electronics experience is required! Tools and components will be provided. Students are required to bring one or two battery powered devices to the class.

How to Build A Simple Contact Microphone
Sunday Dec. 5, 1:00 - 2:50
The Old Town School of Folk Music
4544 N Lincoln Ave
Register at 773-728-6000

Contact mics are inexpensive, easy to build, and can be a source for fun and experimental ways of creating new sounds for recording, art installations or various live performances. In just two hours we will show you how to make a simple, effective contact microphone from surplus and discarded materials. Students are encouraged to bring random objects to amplify - sheet metal, cardboard boxes, acoustic instruments, slinkies, coat hangers, textured plastic objects, etc.
No previous electronics experience is required!

Experimental Sound Studio Fundraiser

Sunday, November 21, 2010
3:00 - 6:00 PM

Roth Mobot has been asked to play a fundraiser for the ESS. It's an "invitation only" event. So, maybe you can call them and get an invitation.

We'll tweat the afterparty.