Content Spotlight March 2019 - Karin aka Kapuzal
Mar 17, 2019 10:34:00 GMT
NightMachines, thetechnobear, and 6 more like this
Post by admin on Mar 17, 2019 10:34:00 GMT
Karin aka Kapuzal is a music producer from Munich, Germany. Her videos on Instagram, Youtube and Facebook attract thousands of likes and recently she has added an AE Modular system to her already very impressive arsenal of synthesizers, drum machines and samplers.
Her music style is very melodic and instantly danceable and one can hear and see that she is having a lot of fun while creating those tracks. Apparently it’s all live “dawless jamming”.
Karin has also recently joined the forum so we wanted to put the spotlight on her music and her experience with the AE Modular in her creative workflow.
How did you first find out about the AE Modular and what made you decide to buy one?
First, thank you for the kind introduction! I first saw this system at a Synthesizer Meetup in Munich where synth enthusiasts play music over a MIDI chain which connects all their synths. One of the organisers had invited Robert Langer from tangible waves to lead a workshop about his AE system. I instantly liked this system, it came at an unbeatable price, was portable and the sound was unbelievably great for such a small system. I wanted to buy it right there and then because I really liked that it is so portable which is important for going to live gigs. Also I liked that as I’m still new to modular synthesis I could get easy access to a complete modular system.
What do you like about the system and where would you like to see improvements?
When I told Robert at that first meeting that I wanted to buy a system I also told him that I thought it would be better to have the power input on the faceplate of the master module. I was happy to see that he took my advice and this has now been changed. I would also wish for the patch points to have a better grip on the cables, but that’s being really picky, for the most part they are OK.
Your videos show an impressive collection of gear in your studio. How does the AE Modular fit into your workflow?
The system fit in really well right from the start. I have 2 main routings in my studio. The first one is to integrate it into my live set, which is synced via MIDI from the Digitakt sampler. In this set the AE plays along with the Digitakt, Digitone, Model:Samples, MAM MB 33. The other routing is my studio setting which also includes the Synthstrom Deluge as a sampler. The Deluge has a nice arpeggiator and I can also quickly create sequences using the pads which is especially nice when integrating a modular system. When clocked by the Digitakt via MIDI I also like to play the AE sequencer. I just like to experiment with how all the different systems work together and I want to “master” them all, however I’m still learning. I also don’t want to spend too much time with only one device, I need more variety as I’m generally curious and capricious.
On your SoundCloud page you’ve written a bit about your decision to get into electronic music production. Tell us a bit about your journey so far. How did you start and are you currently where you dreamt you would be?
Although I came to making music quite suddenly I always dreamt about it since I was a child. When I was little I was often asked to pick songs on the Jukebox in my parent’s pub. Later I dreamt of being a DJ and make people dance. I just love to listen to music, dance to it and to know my way around the different Genres. That was always a big part of my life. Unfortunately, I had never learned to play an instrument.
Then in September 2015 I had a motorbike accident during a holiday on Ibiza so that I couldn’t go to the beach and couldn’t go dancing. A friend gave me his Machine from Native Instruments to play with while I recuperated. Back in Munich I immediately and still injured went to a music store and bought a Machine for myself. That’s how it started and then I developed more and more into my dawless jamming without computers.
Am I where I wanted to be? Not really because I didn’t really plan for any of this except that I loved to play music. Now I dream of improving my recordings, to develop more and better sounds and to keep motivated to learn and improve. It’s a very fulfilling journey.
Your videos attract quite the following, and you seem very confident in your studio. Do you also perform in front of live audiences?
I’m happy in my studio and love to make music there, but I get even more euphoric when performing in front of a live audience. I did this for the first time in November 2017 in a small bar in Munich which was a lot of fun. At 2018 I could play in the smaller next room at a Club in Munich and also two times at local festivals. This month I’m booked for a live gig in Munich at a really cool location as part of a vernissage. I’m really looking forward to this and would also like to do more gigs, but I’m also hesitant to increase this as I’m also busy in my main job which I don’t want to give up.
It seems that the electronic music scene and especially the modular synthesizer scene is very male dominated and although there are some amazing female role models with Suzanne Ciani, Wendy Carlos, Pauline Oliveros and others, it seems that not many women take part in this group. What is your experience in this regard? And what do you think would need to change (if at all) to make the scene more welcoming and attractive for women to join?
Yes that was especially true in the past, however especially in the Synth and modular scene I do see more and more women joining in. It’s a welcome change, even though there are of course still way more men. Are women just more interested in other things while men are more interested in technology? I was introduced to this by a man but I was already always interested in technology anyway so maybe that made it easier for me to get started.
At the synthesizer meetups that I go to there’s a lot of tech-talk and very enriching discussions, but it is true that there are mostly men at these meetings. Women are probably not as assertive and especially in this scene not as connected. So it may be helpful if there were more workshops and meetups that explicitly invites women.
What would your "stranded on a deserted island" music setup look like?
My new live setup to get the waves to dance: Digitakt, Digitone, AE Modular and my mixer … and I hope that there’s electricity.
Thank you Karin for your time!
Please check out some of Karin’s music below
This is a recording of a live set at the Jim Camp festival summer 2018 which is in the country just outside Munich. I used the Digitakt, Digitone and Roland TR8 and TB03 at this jam.
The next video shows the process of experimentation with the TC Helicon Perform VE and my own Vocals.
This video came about when I couldn’t go horse riding because there was too much snow. Riding is my second big hobby so you can hear bit sadness in this track. I named it Gauguin because of the beautiful painting of a horse that he created. I often like to combine my music with current situations that I experience in my life.
In this track I focused more on panning to give the instruments a better sound and to give the whole track a better sounding stereo effect.
Here I had fun to make melodies with my modulars, the AE and my bigger Eurorack which I just patched wildly without much prior planning.
This video shows my new live set equipment. I hope to test it soon on-stage!
At one of the Saturday synth meetups “with the boys” I learned that the Deluge has a really nice arpeggiator which can integrate with the AE Modular and also with the MAM MB 33, which I really like.
Please visit, like and subscribe to Karin’s official channels here:
Her music style is very melodic and instantly danceable and one can hear and see that she is having a lot of fun while creating those tracks. Apparently it’s all live “dawless jamming”.
Karin has also recently joined the forum so we wanted to put the spotlight on her music and her experience with the AE Modular in her creative workflow.
How did you first find out about the AE Modular and what made you decide to buy one?
First, thank you for the kind introduction! I first saw this system at a Synthesizer Meetup in Munich where synth enthusiasts play music over a MIDI chain which connects all their synths. One of the organisers had invited Robert Langer from tangible waves to lead a workshop about his AE system. I instantly liked this system, it came at an unbeatable price, was portable and the sound was unbelievably great for such a small system. I wanted to buy it right there and then because I really liked that it is so portable which is important for going to live gigs. Also I liked that as I’m still new to modular synthesis I could get easy access to a complete modular system.
What do you like about the system and where would you like to see improvements?
When I told Robert at that first meeting that I wanted to buy a system I also told him that I thought it would be better to have the power input on the faceplate of the master module. I was happy to see that he took my advice and this has now been changed. I would also wish for the patch points to have a better grip on the cables, but that’s being really picky, for the most part they are OK.
Your videos show an impressive collection of gear in your studio. How does the AE Modular fit into your workflow?
The system fit in really well right from the start. I have 2 main routings in my studio. The first one is to integrate it into my live set, which is synced via MIDI from the Digitakt sampler. In this set the AE plays along with the Digitakt, Digitone, Model:Samples, MAM MB 33. The other routing is my studio setting which also includes the Synthstrom Deluge as a sampler. The Deluge has a nice arpeggiator and I can also quickly create sequences using the pads which is especially nice when integrating a modular system. When clocked by the Digitakt via MIDI I also like to play the AE sequencer. I just like to experiment with how all the different systems work together and I want to “master” them all, however I’m still learning. I also don’t want to spend too much time with only one device, I need more variety as I’m generally curious and capricious.
On your SoundCloud page you’ve written a bit about your decision to get into electronic music production. Tell us a bit about your journey so far. How did you start and are you currently where you dreamt you would be?
Although I came to making music quite suddenly I always dreamt about it since I was a child. When I was little I was often asked to pick songs on the Jukebox in my parent’s pub. Later I dreamt of being a DJ and make people dance. I just love to listen to music, dance to it and to know my way around the different Genres. That was always a big part of my life. Unfortunately, I had never learned to play an instrument.
Then in September 2015 I had a motorbike accident during a holiday on Ibiza so that I couldn’t go to the beach and couldn’t go dancing. A friend gave me his Machine from Native Instruments to play with while I recuperated. Back in Munich I immediately and still injured went to a music store and bought a Machine for myself. That’s how it started and then I developed more and more into my dawless jamming without computers.
Am I where I wanted to be? Not really because I didn’t really plan for any of this except that I loved to play music. Now I dream of improving my recordings, to develop more and better sounds and to keep motivated to learn and improve. It’s a very fulfilling journey.
Your videos attract quite the following, and you seem very confident in your studio. Do you also perform in front of live audiences?
I’m happy in my studio and love to make music there, but I get even more euphoric when performing in front of a live audience. I did this for the first time in November 2017 in a small bar in Munich which was a lot of fun. At 2018 I could play in the smaller next room at a Club in Munich and also two times at local festivals. This month I’m booked for a live gig in Munich at a really cool location as part of a vernissage. I’m really looking forward to this and would also like to do more gigs, but I’m also hesitant to increase this as I’m also busy in my main job which I don’t want to give up.
It seems that the electronic music scene and especially the modular synthesizer scene is very male dominated and although there are some amazing female role models with Suzanne Ciani, Wendy Carlos, Pauline Oliveros and others, it seems that not many women take part in this group. What is your experience in this regard? And what do you think would need to change (if at all) to make the scene more welcoming and attractive for women to join?
Yes that was especially true in the past, however especially in the Synth and modular scene I do see more and more women joining in. It’s a welcome change, even though there are of course still way more men. Are women just more interested in other things while men are more interested in technology? I was introduced to this by a man but I was already always interested in technology anyway so maybe that made it easier for me to get started.
At the synthesizer meetups that I go to there’s a lot of tech-talk and very enriching discussions, but it is true that there are mostly men at these meetings. Women are probably not as assertive and especially in this scene not as connected. So it may be helpful if there were more workshops and meetups that explicitly invites women.
What would your "stranded on a deserted island" music setup look like?
My new live setup to get the waves to dance: Digitakt, Digitone, AE Modular and my mixer … and I hope that there’s electricity.
Thank you Karin for your time!
Please check out some of Karin’s music below
This is a recording of a live set at the Jim Camp festival summer 2018 which is in the country just outside Munich. I used the Digitakt, Digitone and Roland TR8 and TB03 at this jam.
The next video shows the process of experimentation with the TC Helicon Perform VE and my own Vocals.
This video came about when I couldn’t go horse riding because there was too much snow. Riding is my second big hobby so you can hear bit sadness in this track. I named it Gauguin because of the beautiful painting of a horse that he created. I often like to combine my music with current situations that I experience in my life.
In this track I focused more on panning to give the instruments a better sound and to give the whole track a better sounding stereo effect.
Here I had fun to make melodies with my modulars, the AE and my bigger Eurorack which I just patched wildly without much prior planning.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BtjAebpiUyN
This video shows my new live set equipment. I hope to test it soon on-stage!
http://instagr.am/p/Bt_famUiyss
At one of the Saturday synth meetups “with the boys” I learned that the Deluge has a really nice arpeggiator which can integrate with the AE Modular and also with the MAM MB 33, which I really like.
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bu1NUoQA8iw
Please visit, like and subscribe to Karin’s official channels here:
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/kapuzal/
- SoundCloud: soundcloud.com/kapuzal
- YouTube: www.youtube.com/channel/UCue1wGs4CBNGyYV2Yz2y42Q
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/kapuzal.muc/
