Deadbeat & Mathew Jonson & Sarah Wreath An Early Morning Ride into Space
Early one morning, we invited Mathew Jonson, Deadbeat, and Sarah Wreath to the rooms of Kairos studio in Berlin, Germany to record a jam session underpinned by the connectivity-prowess of AudioFuse 16Rig, and look beyond the veil of these acclaimed underground artists.
Mathew Jonson, Deadbeat (Scott Monteith), and Sarah Wreath found themselves in a beautiful space in Berlin, designed with the intention of collaborative sound experimentation. The set-up included an AudioFuse 16Rig, as well as a panoply of Arturia gear, including PolyBrute Voice Analog, MiniFreak Polyphonic Digital, Drumbrute Impact, and the KeyLab Essential 49.
Underground luminaries
Mathew Jonson is one of the most distinctive voices in contemporary electronic dance music, and is well–known for his love of analog equipment and proclivity for real-time production. His music combines a formal education in piano and jazz drumming with a passion for hip hop, along with a deep understanding of the dance floor. He takes the crowd's expectations, and upturns them, bringing influences from drum’n’bass, electro and further afield, into his mixes. In 2005, he co-founded the label Wagon Repair, moved to Berlin, and has been touring and recording ever since. Both innovative and inspirational, Jonson’s DJ career has covered significant ground, and he brings a unique creative approach to everything he touches.
Deadbeat, AKA Scott Monteith, has been making music for 25 years and explores an impressive mix of musical references and genres in his work. With explorations from the well-known Radio Rothko compilation to more recent releases like Kübler-Ross Soliloquies, Montieth is an authority on the dub-inspired electronic sound with 11 albums to his name. Like Jonson, Monteith made the move to Berlin, and from there expanded on a performance career, in addition to a monkish commitment to the studio. He’s played festivals worldwide, exploring imperfections and off-beats in equal measure, as part of an overarching quest to discover a musical voice between the lines of convention. With a proven passion and intuitive understanding of the cutting-edge of music production tools, Deadbeat continues to evolve as a unique and innovative artist.
Sarah Wreath, who makes up half of Solid Traveller, is a Berlin-based DJ, and sound engineer. Her creative voice rests in the meeting place between sound and spirituality, exploring how the two can interact to transform the human spirit. Using analog sounds and exploring their individual voices, Wreath uses these circuit-wired companions to explore ambient frequencies, creating music which both moves, and exudes emotional depth.
Traversing digital and analog domains
For this unique jam session, the artists had access to virtual instruments, as well as the effects suite. Jonson played with the 6-voice polyphonic powerhouse PolyBrute. Deadbeat controlled the versatile MiniFreak, the instantly satisfying DrumBrute, and the intuitively crafted KeyLab Essential connected to V Collection (primarily the Acid V) coupled with effects from the FX Collection. Meanwhile Wreath used the supercharged sequencing keyboard KeyStep Pro to pilot her modular system. This collection of hardware and software, guided by the unique approach of each artist, guaranteed a novel and interesting exploration of creative and musical space.
A creative flow underpinned by AudioFuse 16Rig
Accompanying them on the journey was the AudioFuse 16Rig.
Intuitively designed, AudioFuse 16Rig helps you overcome the connectivity-quandaries you may encounter in a studio filled with hardware, or with a complex live setup. As every jam session can bring up something different, it’s vital to have the tools to hand which can gracefully handle every sound and every take. The AudioFuse 16Rig allows you to have an uninterrupted workflow and be sure that you can hear and capture a myriad of instrument voices with ease.
We are introduced to a range of features, including its capabilities as a DAW-less mixer. Another notable feature includes the input and output routing, with certain channels mirrored on the back of the gear, allowing you to decide based on your mixing needs in-the-moment. The screen also allows for full control over the interface and its routing without the need for a computer, as well as offering powerful monitoring options and a USB hub, so you can harness all of your gear at once, and let your creative flow thrive.
Into space, and beyond
Whether you’re using it as a dedicated mixer or running it DAW-less, a carefully connected set up allows you to capture every individual voice in detail. From downbeat dub, to extended underground edits or grittier techno textures, music production is always an explorative process.
AudioFuse 16Rig is the perfect studio or stage companion, whether your music is taking you on an early morning ride into space, or beyond.
“The screen with the inputs and outputs gives you full access to basically everything that the software does so you can really control every parameter.” - Deadbeat
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