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About this Project

Developing the poetics of the craft of synthesizers, this project focuses on installations, and the meta-material has grown to cover mythology, sexuality, Jagersprache the German language of deerhunting, 20th century antenna design, and the general study of invisible fields.

The project is a system of radio fields which react to movement nearby. Thus it is a good for dance reál. It converts movement into sonic undulations, the frequency of which can be tuned to theta waves. Thus it is a good metaphor, in the end, to demonstrate patience to children.

About this Project

Deliverables are instances of a design that are sold as objects, and these multiples are intended for the new musician. Thus the Organus series has been the main propellant in the business of Ciat-Lonbarde. In the grand tradition of Pipe Organ building, the product is a unique manifestation of 20th century technologies for a truly “modern” musical experience; silence is important traditionally as well as being an important “active component” of modern music, tonality is flexible…. The Organus series has recently been expanded with a new design, Tetrazzi Organus, which is the first instrument that Ciat-Lonbarde is having made by machine assembly.

About this Project

This project is a thrust to politely ask “what is the race of an instrument?” On studying the literature of Ancient Asian Zithers, I identified key features that “wrap around” to Baltimore Culture; the sole use of Pawlonia wood, which is known here as the “Ghetto Palm”; and the mythical importance of electrically burned wood, by lightning in ancient times and by faulty wiring in West Baltimore. On a pre-nuptial winter walk in the woods, I serendipitously found the perfect fallen Pawlonia tree by the train tracks, which I set to work carving up into pieces for a series of zithers. The instruments, of male (chin) and female (koto) varieties, are made electro-acoustic with antennae and unique custom circuitry.

About this Project

Rollable synthesizers hang on the wall, for you to weave patches with wires, then manifesting such spaghetti as jazz, or electronic music. They roll up to fit in a duffel bag. Some are canvas, some are modular wood constructions.

About this Project

The Namastitar is an electro-acoustic instrument. The brass frets, besides setting the intervals of the acoustic string tones, are also nodes of an oscillator. So by playing the fretboard you articulate string tone as well as oscillator tone. This oscillator makes a ring-modulation circuit with the sound of the string so you have complex articulated tones formed out of plucked string, as well as smooth oscillator tones made by pressing on the bridge (like the sidrassi organ somewhat). There are four knobs: oscillator basis frequency, fretboard convolution, mix of affected and clean string sounds, and master volume. The fretboard convolution knob controls how the oscillator responds to the fret scale- going upwards or downwards or upwards-downwards.

This prototypical model of the namastitar brings a scale transpired from the Japanese mountain monastary to the sufi tones of Hurqalya. Any scale fretting is possible- standard 12 tone equal temperement, as well as other equal temperements such as 19, 22, 31; arbitary fret spacings as well. The fewer the frets, the larger the steps of the electronic tone. The temperament of the electronic tone is controlled by the convolution knob, so the frets themselves do not need electronic tuning. The prototype has a extra long neck, but a standard length can be provided to make replacing the strings economical. The body is carved out of a solid piece of spanish cedar (while quantities last), and the neck is made out of solid walnut. The fretboard is maple, and the tuning pegs are Ipe. The soundboard is plastic, but a wood one is possible too. The instrument is about 40 inches long and 6 wide.

About this Project

The trimin is like a theremin, but in triangle form. It is a radio instrument- you do not need to touch it- it is a tribute to our souls which have no body. With three antennae, it goes beyond the theremin's simple tone, and develops cross modulations in the radio realm, producing more possibilities for complex timbres. It has three audio outputs, but it also transmits to any AM radio, so you can dial further sound possibilities between the stations.

About this Project

Sponsored by a grant from The Daniel Langlois Fondation for Art and Technology, I developed an electronic sound instrument specifically for playing by touch. The result was taken by several curated performers across the country to demonstrate in improvisatory practice, and hands-on demos.

About this Project

We are a collective of artists and musicians living in West Baltimore. We are devoted to sustainable living by nurturing plants, sawing open the sidewalk for roots to take hold, and other pursuits such as brewing root beer. In renovating our derelict houses, we have learned a gamut of home-reuse archaeology, not home-depot technology. We want to work on your home's exterior, to enliven the communtiy with creativity and life. Our crew can construct planters, enrich the soil organically, choose native plants, sculpt trees, and perform maintenance. We also make musical instruments; this shows that we are detail oriented.

About this Project

Due to economic recession, artists everywhere are learning how to find their food in the woods. To seek pawpaws, you must have an understanding of the life cycle of the plant, and what types of forest it likes, as well as special factors like glass bottles which deerhooves cannot walk on, allowing an unpoached tree at a secret location deep in the woods. Pick them in September.