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Synthesist and author (Patch & Tweak) Chris Meyer shared this live modular performance of Nightfall: Kyiv.

The performance was recorded at Citizen Vinyl in Asheville, North Carolina as part of a fundraising event for the Moogseum. It includes samples of the Moogseum’s vintage modular Moog synthesizer as part of the bass line.

What Meyer says about his performance:

“The idea for this piece came when Maks Histibe of Mask Movement in Kyiv, Ukraine contacted me. As part of the invasion of Ukraine, their power grid is often knocked offline, and he was looking to raise money for solar panels and batteries to keep his studio operating. To do this, he created a series of field recordings of the war and life during wartime in Ukraine, and crafted them into a virtual instrument called Swords to Ploughshares.

I gladly purchased it, and used it as the basis for this song, which flows from the realities of life during wartime to attempting to lead a normal, happy life…only for the war to intrude, and drag people back in. A version of this song will appear on my summer 2024 release: Finite Space.”

What Meyer shared about the technical details:

Chris Meyer: “Pandora’s Box” plus vintage Moog modular synthesizers, Ableton Live, Korg Wavestation, Frozen Plain Terracotta, Luftrum Bioscape, Soundiron Circle Bells, Synapse Audio Dune 3

Maks Histibe: field recordings of the war in Ukraine (courtesy of Soundiron/Swords to Ploughshares)

Cory Friesenhan & She Who Shall Not Be Named: vocal atmospheres (courtesy of Black Octopus Sound)

Special thanks to Daniel Liston Keller for the live video switching.

Sunday Synth Jam: German synthesist Martin Stürtzer shared this live ambient performance, the 63rd in his series of Home Concerts.

He launched the series at the beginning of the pandemic, in 2020. He plays a live show from his studio on the first Sunday of each month.

What Stürtzer shared about the technical details of his performance:

“In this set, I present five new Ambient tracks, arranged with my hardware synths, Daweseome Myth, U-He Repro-5 and Ableton 12. For live looping I used Enso by Audio Damage.

This set left me a lot of space for improvisation, the use of my Juno 60 was completely spontaneous.”

This video, via The cosmic electronics music department, captures a rare live performance by the late Gert Jalass, former head of German synth maker Moon Modular.

The performance was recorded at Ambient Waves Festival 2020.

Moon Modular is known for making modern modules in Moog format. Jalass’s performance gives you a sense of his inspirations.

Jalass died unexpectedly ahead of this year’s Superbooth 2024.