FM3 BUDDHA MACHINE

from a review of the Staubgold release Jukebox Buddha at foxy digitalis.

FM3 Buddha Machine mixed-media installation at Media City Seoul 2006.
Four large Buddha Machine posters were hung on one side of the Seoul Museum of Art.
On the other side of the museum were four working machines.

FM3’s Christiaan Virant performing at Cafe Bbang. Alongside is good friend and collaborator Yan Jun. We are performing here as Tie Guan Yin, an ensemble with a ever-shifting roster of players.

FM3’s Christiaan Virant and Yan Jun at Yogiga.

Our shows in Seoul were sponsored by Bulgasari, a long-running avant-garde, improv, free music concert series organised by Sato Yukie.

An FM3 triple play in the new issue of WIRE magazine.

Staubgold compilation “Jukebox Buddha,” Robert Henke’s Layering Buddha and the FM3 Buddha Machine all make it into the WIRE charts this month.

Also, a full review of Jukebox Buddha in The Compiler section.

David Toop calls the release “one of my favourite new CDs.” Sam Davies is not as excited. Read his full review below.

Also, a shout out to Geert-Jan Hobijn from Staalplaat Soundsystem. His discourse on CD sleeve artwork appears on Page 73. Unfortunately, the text is credited to that “other” Geert-Jan, the MEGO recording artist and MIMEO member Geert-Jan Prins.

While we were away in Korea, the Robert Henke album Layering Buddha was uploaded to Soulseek. Three weeks before release date.

The only people who received pre-release copies of the album were music journalists.

Robert is upset. Understandably. Read his post about the issue here

Join the discussion about industry insiders who fuel downloads at the Ableton Live Forum

FM3 will be in Seoul, Korea Oct 16-20 for a media art biennale and two performances.

Tuesday. Oct 17. Media_City Seoul 2006
Seoul Museum of Art. 37 Seosomun-Dong

Wednesday. Oct 18. Cafe Bbang

Thursday. Oct 19. Yogiga

The insiders guide to the names and origins of the nine Buddha Machine loops:

1. Ma - abbreviation for Matouqin, a mongolian instrument called the “horse head fiddle.” Recorded at a studio in northeast Beijing in 2002. Originally used on tour in Europe 2004 (and possibly as early as 2002 in Rome). Appears on the CD release FM3 - Mort Aux Vaches (Staalplaat 2005).

2. Zheng - abbreviation for Gu Zheng, better known in the west as the Koto. Recorded in Hong Kong in 2001 or thereabouts. Used extensively on tour in Europe in 2004-05 as our “opening song,” played on loop while the audience entered the performance space. Appears on the CD release FM3 - Mort Aux Vaches (Staalplaat 2005) and is the basis of the song “Zheng” on the Bip-Hop Generation vol.7 compilation (Bip-Hop 2004). Can also be found on various live bootleg recordings.

3. Sheng - the Chinese mouth organ. Better known in the west as the Sho. Recorded in Beijing circa 2002. Used for our live performances in the Louvre in 2004. Also used sparingly on tour in Europe 2004. Unlike other Buddha Machine loops, Sheng features a beat and the noise of a child shouting. The child was running around the studio during the recording, and the beat was a chinese Pipa, digitally processed and added during our live Louvre set. Appears on the CD release FM3 - Mort Aux Vaches (Staalplaat 2005).

photos by Ron Miyanishi

Wonderfully sublime all-night pool party!

We learn that the FM3 Buddha Machine is somewhat water-proof (it continues to play underwater, but best not to try at home unless you want a perpetually pitch-shifted box!)

We demonstrated Zhang Jian’s theory that it would be “difficult” to play quiet music to an audience of kids in a 40C wading pool!!

And we loved watching the thousands (yes! thousands!) of people qeueing for a chance to swim at 4am.

Thanks to Ron Miyanishi for the pic!