FM3
FM3 is a China-based music duo of Christiaan Virant and Zhang Jian. They are best known as the creators of the Buddha Machine （貝佛） loop-player.
Buddha Machine
The Buddha Machine is a small musical loop player. The name and idea derived from a popular Chinese music player similar to the FM3 that intones repeating loops of Buddhist chanting. It continuously plays one of 9 ambient sound loops (drones) that range in length from 5 to 40 seconds. Just two years later this device has sold more than 50,000 units. [1]
Concept
The Buddha Machine fulfils certain criteria of a generative music device. The idea of layering loops of ambient sound goes back to Brian Eno who worked similarly using tape machines for installations.
Christiaan Virant was recently interviewed on the public radio show Studio 360 regarding the creation of the Buddha Machine. Inspired by a device found in a buddhist temple, Virant was attracted to its design and applied it to the loop-based music he creates.[2]
Hardware Description
Resembling a small transistor radio, the Buddha Machine has a volume control that doubles as an on/off switch; a headphone jack; a 4.5V AC adapter jack; and a switch that, when moved, selects the next of 9 ambient loops. Unlike an MP3 player, the user cannot upload or download content to the machine.
Spin-off Albums
On October 27 2006, Robert Henke released an album called Layering Buddha which contains 10 tracks that have been created by "filtering, pitching and layering either the original loops, or new loops which were re-assembled out of parts of the originals."
In November 2006 a second album was announced. The album is entitled Jukebox Buddha and will feature the nine loops remixed by various artists. Contributors include Sun City Girls, Sunn 0))), Fehlmann, Jan Jelinek with Andrew Pekler and Hanno Leichtmann, Einstürzende Neubauten's Blixa Bargeld, Monolake's Robert Henke, Alog, and Mapstation.
References
- ^ New York Times - Boxed Set Details on FM3 and the Buddha Machine
- ^ Studio 360 Interview
External links
- FM3 website
- FM3 website for the Buddha Machine
- Boomkat Article
- Discogs.com entry for "Layering Buddha"
- Discogs.com entry for "Jukebox Buddha"
- Pitchfork Media article on Jukebox Buddha
- Review of Buddha Machine
- Review of "Jukebox Machine"
- Wall Street Journal - An interview with Christiaan Virant and some comments about the FM3 Buddha Machine.
- FM3 Buddha Machine's distributor in Australia