feedback music by Seb S

* VOLUME WARNING: these tracks are based around exploiting feedback as an acoustical phenomenon, and as such, are quite loud and vary greatly in dynamics (often suddenly). While most tracks can be mastered well to avoid such moments, tracks with an asterisk are minimally mastered to preserve their waveforms. Mastering often involves use of limiting and compressing, and if I want to present the qualities of the waves (either sonically or, more important, visually) they cannot be limited. It would not look right, which is important for the WYSIWYG oscilloscope visuals. Other times, the sound of the feedback is itself clipping and distorting, and limiting that distortion would quiet the characteristics of the sounds I am trying to present. Listen with caution, lower your volume.

†Some tracks feature visuals, which are recommended for a first listen and are available with the included packet (available 03/01/2024).

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a collection of sounds and video exploiting acoustical feedback. all tracks are live recordings of captured feedback. any distortion you hear is caused in situ.

in Cyber-Theremin I & II, i turn my laptop into a feedback machine by running a patch through my computers microphone and speakers at the same time (+video).

in Squaring the Circle, i use sine waves in a custom 7-limit a''=415 temperament to paint shapes on a lissajous oscilloscope (+video).

in Mixer, with and without input, a no input mixer set meets input.

in Plate I & II, i use metal plates to create reverb and feedback. in the first, i take a thin sheet of metal (presumably aluminum) and attach two exciters to it. the exciters are fed directly to to a microphone, which is sometimes stationary, sometimes moving about the body of the plate. in Plate II, I run the same setup through a heavier metal plate, playing a piano through persistent feedback to cause live bitcrushing. there is no artificial bit reduction applied, either digitally or electronically. What you are hearing is acoustically generated, occurring in physical space.

in pia/o (pronounced like the instrument), a piano signal is fedback into itself through a controlled exploitation of hearback monitoring. the piano was recorded hot intentionally, so as to cause distortion. monitors were placed on the piano body, which reverberate the distortion, which the mics pick up, feeding back upon itself.

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I'm Seb, I love to put out music, and do so frequently.

Much of the music I make is experimental stuff exploring low-fidelity playback, feedback, or simple acoustic phenomena. Sometimes I make ambient or pop stuff.

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