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21 - Anoesis
Giannis Kampiotis
November 01, 2022
Hello music people đź‘‹
Today in the spotlight, Anoesis
Based in North Hertfordshire, Anoesis is not a newcomer in music.
He's been releasing dance music since 1993 but took a big break from music production. A Synthfest inspired him to create again and he is back ever since.
Embracing randomness, his favourite gear is MTM - Turing Machine. Favourite technique is mixing up things in his studio 🎶
Read Time: 9 minutes đź“°
The Setup
Gear List
Music Thing Modular – Turing Machine
Music Thing Modular - Radio Music
Music Thing Modular - Chord Organ
Mutable Instruments - Clouds
Mutable Instruments - Warps
Mutable Instruments - Rings (home built)
Sonic Potions - Penrose Quantizer
Rhodes - Stage 73
Sequential - Prophet 5 (orig Rev-3)
ARP - Solus
Yamaha - CS30
EDP - Gnat
Elka - Rhapsody 490
Dodd - MPS-1 (home built)
Dodd PDS-1 (home built)
Cubase 10
Waves etc...
Who are you and what is your relationship with music?
I’m based in North Hertfordshire, but before that I was making music in London.
I started recording music and working with drum machines in Hove (UK south coast) after hearing Donna Summer, Gary Numan, John Foxx and early Human League, then got into releasing dance music in 1993 on various London based labels.
I’ve been working full time since 2000 when I took a rest from making music as a serious concern. Two years ago I started taking time off work which has allowed me to immerse myself in music making again.
I’ve made money from selling records and gigging but it’s always been pretty sporadic. The vinyl releases that I have coming up will generate a bit of money, but I’ll need to continue working. I have wanted to get back to gigging but have been recovering from Covid for a long time…!
Had a big windfall once when a track was used for a TV ad for iTunes in 2002, that was great.
What's the one thing in your studio you can't live without?
This would have to be Music Thing Modular - Turing Machine.
It’s a great bit of kit that continually creates random CV and gate sequences until you lock them in. It’s designed to gradually change and evolve from a fixed sequence, but I don’t tend to use it that way (I need to explore this however). Ιt’s so easy to create completely unexpected tunes and rhythms, and then lock them for recording a track. Combined with a quantizer, it’s fantastic.
Tom Whitwell who designed it also created Radio Music, a completely inspired and very simple 4HP sample player.
What's your process?
Sometimes you hear a track you like or have an idea about a specific type of track you’d like to make, you get started (either on the modular or DAW) and then end up creating something completely different, albeit something satisfying.
Other times it can be wanting to use a bit of modular gear or VST in a way you’ve not used before, which always leads you down unknown paths.
I like physically moving my modular gear (fortunately it’s quite portable) to different parts of the house and then starting to create. I’ve also found multiple times in the past that when switching on your gear, something unexpected and wonderful can suddenly emerge bearing no apparent resemblance to what you were last working on. I love this, and when it happens you have to capture it.
Posting on Instagram has also been a great source of new tracks – starting with the intention of making a Reel, realizing you’ve got something good, and then turn it into a full track.
I always record the modular stems and then put everything into Cubase, it gives me complete control over the track and the ability for complete recall if you need to make an edit for a release.
How would you explain your style?
From my beginnings with Anoesis and electronic dance music it’s always been about programming drum patterns, keeping away from 4/4 kicks, but trying to keep the tracks as DJ friendly as possible.
Recently I’ve started making more 4/4 based tracks, as I’ve come to really appreciate artists like Jan Jelinek. I also love weird/jazzy/spaced out chords – I’ll often insert parallel 5ths into already complex chords just to make them sound a bit more out there.
Playing notes with VCF resonance is also something I’ve always loved.
Has this journey of building a hardware setup changed the way you think about music or life in general?
Yes, yes, absolutely.
My route back into making electronic music started about 6 years ago when a friend was running an exhibit at the first Synthfest in Sheffield. Being surrounded by so many fantastic machines for a day made me realize how much I loved synthesisers, sound engineering and building gear – this set me off on a path of building and hacking modular kits, which in turn got me back into making music and ultimately releasing music again.
Custom building all the Mutable Instruments modules was also a real journey, working with tiny surface mount components and a heat gun, and the fairly complex process of building and loading the software. It’s very satisfying. I’ve not yet modified the software for eg Clouds, but it would be a good thing to do.
Modular synth events, although massively geeky, are truly wonderful.
What’s your ONE tip on music-production or creativity?
Keep as fit and healthy as you can.
Get out and see new things/have new experiences as often as you can (gigs included) and you’ll more regularly be in good state of mind for making music.
A book/movie/article that fueled your creativity?
I’m currently reading the graphic novel City of Belgium by Brecht Evens, I love the trippy visual onslaught and the fact that a story starts to emerge from what seems like randomness.
Experiencing books like this always make you feel creative.
Do you have a question in mind that you think I should have asked?
"What piece of gear do you wish you’d never sold?"
I’d probably say an original Korg - MS10. It started out a bit faulty, but I managed to fix all the problems and also hack it to good effect. The PWM bass sounds were wonderful. I think it changed hands for £75!!!
…and some release info:
The new Anoesis album Supercade will be out soon on Cosmic Soup (2x 12”), followed by some reissues next year. There will also be a reissue of the 1st Anoesis release Heavy Water on Berlin based label Spray in the next month or so.
How can people find you?
In addition to Anoesis I’ve released stuff under the names Oxidation, Doc Bozique, Insterspacial and Tongue (with Tom Withers). YouTube is also good place for hearing all the historical vinyl.
Preview of Anoesis album on Soundcloud
My Instagram channel
Core album by Howard Dodd and Keith de Mendonca (soundscapes, field recordings)
Recent Doc Bozique and Oxidation releases on Bandcamp
In Case You Missed It
For jams, knob-twists and pad hitting videos go to G.A.S. Instagram
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Gianni @gianni.kampiotis
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