ATTN: budding electronic music producers, here’s a cool thing. This Wednesday August 16, the collective of obsessive synthesiser hoarders MESS (Melbourne Electronic Sound Studio) are having an introductory workshop to modular synthesis, and in particular, the widely used Eurorack format. Presenting the night is veteran Eurorack user and developer Keith Fullerton Whitman, who’ll be walking attendees through the history and thinking behind modular synthesiser system, including Wally De Backer’s (AKA Gotye) History of Eurorack collection that resides at MESS. It’s going down at MESS in North Melbourne, tickets via mess.foundation.
On Friday August 18, Alleycat is back for its third instalment. Stepping into the second last chapter of their winter series are friends Babicka and Baby Björn aka Cry Baby, Steeplejack’s live cosmic excursions in new project Cutting Room, Pjenné and Sleep D. Kicks off at 10pm at the ex-adult club in 420 Lonsdale St. Free before 11.30pm.
Also on Friday, Cool Room is back at 24 Moons for season 3 – episode 8 (is this how we’re doing club nights now? sigh…ok). For this one, the team are skipping the international guest routine, instead featuring an all-Australian lineup, and it’s a ripper. Moopie is making an appearance, I’m not gonna tell you about Moopie, he’s playing somewhere every bloody weekend and he’s a god damn Melbourne treasure. I will tell you about Hannah Lockwood though, the Sydneysider is one-half of techno duo Phile, an audio engineer and a modular synth master. Her music is forceful and intense, but tempered by dynamics and emotion. She’s bringing the full modular live-rig down to blow our tiny Melbourne minds and I’m psyched. Rounding out the lineup is Noise In My Head and Mariah Sliwczynski.
On Saturday Section 8 hosts Couta Beats III, a night of breezy balearic bliss. Pumping out the worldly stuff will be M5K, Senpolo, Flamingo Jones and Not Quite Disco. Go pretend you’re on a tropical island from 7pm, free entry.
On Sunday, Houses In Motion are chucking a day party at the Gasometer featuring UK producer/DJ Hidden Spheres. As a producer, his sound ranges from sundrenched-hazy-lo-fi driven house, to dubbed out slow grooves with releases on labels like Lobster Theremin and Rhythm Nation. As a DJ, Hidden Spheres draws from all his musical knowledge leading to an eclectic heartfelt set connecting the musical dots with a love for house at its heart. Support comes from Millú, After Midnight Limonata, Juicy Romance and Oliver Francis. Kicks off at 3pm.