speech synthesis in east Germany

Ok, now it gets nerdy, about speech synthesis. In the 30s Homer Dudley invented the Voder, a speech synthesizer to create artificial speech, without voice recordings or input, see video at bottom. Now compare it with the kinky DDR scifi from the 70s, Im Staub Der Sterne. The excerpt is fun and fetish anyway but take a close listen to the 'computer' voice at 4.22 and 5.28. It has the same analog quality as the voder with the elastic transition between the formants, unlike digital speech synthesis or fake robotic voice done with Vocoders (also invented by Dudley). 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MAwX8-1IOFg



So in east Germany they at a functioning Voder in the 70s???? Maybe even here in Berlin? We know they have their version of Trautonium, the Subharchord, but a Voder, how cool is that?

Here the recording from the 1939 Voder to compare: 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0rAyrmm7vv0

New realtime live visuals

In the last days I worked with open source game engine Panda3D and Blender for modeling to creating the realtime visuals for the Notstandskomitee concerts 2013 on, controlled from my Ableton set and Max4Live via OSC. 

Had to brush up my Python knowledge, but it runs on the same laptop (a Macbook air with Intel 4000 graphics) with realtime shadows, blur shader and skeleton animation dramatic more performant as Processing which I considered for visuals at one point.

Pure Data workshop in Berlin, January

I will provide a Pure Data (http://puredata.info/) workshop for 5 - 20 participants in January in Berlin Kreuzberg (Ritterstr. 3), in two parts, fee for each part is 50.- € including VAT or 80.- € including VAT for both weekends, starting 14:00 till open end:

12./13. 1. 2013 (focus on audio):
- Introduction, History of PD
- messaging, calculations, interfacing (OSC, Midi)
- audioprocessing, history of soundsynthesis and how to rebuilt historic synthesizers with PD


19./20. 1. 2013 (focus on graphics):
- 3D realtime graphics with GEM
- video processing with PDP + GEM inclusive camerainput
- motion tracking


write me if want to join: mktsteiner AT googlemail DOT com, bring laptop, your drinks and food (some coffee/chocolade will be there) and good mood, additionally midi or other controllers....

Notstandskomitee live Berlin tonight

Today is a screaming nice saturday and tonight Notstandskomitee meets Femme Facade at Supersonic Club Berlin, Weichselstr. 15 Berlin Neukölln, 22:00

Kino Kabarett 2006

At Kino Kabarett 2006, where you have 48hours time to conceive and finish a short movie, I made some soundtracks, like this one. Zabel and friends from Reunion came up with this thing and while they were filming, me and Volker Havlik, with whom I had the project Konform together, made the soundtrack. Working title was Gratte Les Couilles which was changed in the similar subtle name Wanker.
Regular listeners of my music will recognize some of my signature sounds, augmented with Volkers guitar works.

9 movies to ruin your first date

Here is a list of extreme and disturbing movies, certainly nothing for anyone below 18 or 30 years, you have to have the mental constitution and media competency to digest these, otherwise your soul might get folded like an Origami went wrong.

These are perfectly suitable to ruin your first date, normally your date becomes your opponent, throwing up and/or just walk away. If not, your are dating either

- a fellow cineast, so you can look forward to countless hours discussing movies. Dreams can get true.

- your psychiatrist, so that straitjacket isn't a fetish toy…

- YOU should walk away as quickly as possible

Anyway, these movies are giving your first date that certain Taxi-Driver extra:

1. Salo by Pasolini. An important movie showing how victims becomes offenders. Very intense and precise, watching this felt like getting skinned alive, was thinking about leaving the cinema. Was banned in Germany. The most gross effect (those who have seen it, know what I mean) was done with Mousse-Au-Chocolat and orange jam, actually yummy when you think about it.

2. A Serbian Movie

Seems to be the new king of disturbing movies. Haven't seen it and from what I read about never have the intention to. But yeah, said the same when I was looking at the lobby cards of Dawn Of The Dead, but that was 1978 and I was 8 years old, perfectly happy with Disneys Snow White, Godzilla movies and Bud Spencer. Meanwhile I enjoy watching the original Dawn once a year, reconstituting my distrust in mankind and 70s wardrobe.

If you ever need some depressions, paranoia and want get rid of your appetite or any positive attitudes towards sexuality, this might be your ticket. Maybe watching Bambi several times after that cures the wounds.

3. Last House On The Left by Wes Craven

Hard to believe that David Hess was in general a nice guy and wrote songs for Elvis Presley and others, but thats acting. One of the first movies combining a Chainsaw and a human being, 1 year before Texas Chainsaw Massacre.

A modern version of Bergmans Virgin Spring.

4. I Spit On Your Grave

Haven't seen that and don't feel I ever want to. Main actress of the original 70s version is granddaughter of Buster Keaton.

5. O.K. from Michael Verhoeven

A german take on the horrors of Vietnam war or war in general. Everything looks fake and it tries to break the illusions of film, but its intense, has a snuff feeling and it brought down the Film Festival in Berlin 1970 because of the eventual dispute. Haven't seen it yet but I am curious, but it might damage my soul. Gustl Bayrhammer is in it but Pumuckel left the building.

6. House On The Edge Of The Park

Deodatos coverversion of Last House, complete with David Hess again in action.

7. Night Train Murders

Another italian Last House/ Virgin Spring version

8. Irreversibel

Not seen yet but Whitehouses William Bennett was impressed by it so it cant be a casual movie

9. Henry, Portrait Of A Serial Killer

some parts are uneasy to watch, I was suffering

Another nominees are Clockwork Orange (although the over styling ease it a bit),Ms. 45, Man Bites Dog and Deodatos Cannibal Holocaust (I wanted to like it because of its intensity and being a precessor of Blair Witch Project and others, but animal snuff is not acceptable ) and countless more…

Restlichtverstärker live in Berlin 21.7.2012

My band Restlichtverstärker with Servando Barreiro will perform tomorrow the first time in Berlin at Supersonic Club, a year after my Notstandskomitee concert there.