It's with great pleasure that I have opened Vaccine. This is a blog that I will be using to post patches, samples, and all sorts of files that are designed for public consumption by musicians working with electronic instruments, wether hardware or software. I feel that I should introduce myself and give a little bit of background about my involvement with music and electronic instruments.
My name is Matia Simovich and I have worked as a professional sound designer, programmer, and producer for the last five years. The height of my career thus far was working for Asphodel Records/Studios and Recombinant Media Labs, located in San Francisco, California, under the creative direction of Naut Humon. My work there involved everything from teaching other artists and students the methodology of electronic music to songwriting, producing, curating, and programming for artists on and external to the label. Asphodel Records was the home to many well known acts such as DJ Spooky, the X-Ecutioners, Otomo Yoshihide and a myriad of others and RML and the Studio was visited by some of the most important and interesting artists around. Within the studio itself, I had the immense honor and privilege of working with and learning from the most talented staff I've ever had the pleasure of being involved with. My colleagues have and continue to fight for their dreams and keep the spirit of creativity and ingenuity alive. They are such a significant component of my life today and I have the upmost respect and gratitude for them.
During my teenage years and into my early twenties I was the synthesist and vocalist for Red Youth, a San Francisco based synth-pop/industrial group. While completing a record seemed somewhat of a fleeting desire, we nonetheless had quiet a great time writing, studio building, purchasing analog synths, and playing a show or two. My former bandmates have gone on to be in much more successful musical projects than Red Youth was ever designed to be, but it was this learning experience (at least I'd like to think so) that again, contributed to who we are and what we do today.
And as for today, I have recently relocated to London, England to complete my Masters in Sociology at Goldsmiths College at the University of London. I am emphasizing in creative analysis so most of my coursework is directly rooted in music and media studies, particularly electronic and experimental music. In San Francisco, I've built a second electronic music composition room with my studio partner and, whilst I don't have all the wonderful toys with me, I've got enough (I think) to generate some interesting content for this blog.
I hope that gives a good first impression and establishes a little familiarity. I also want to say a bit about what to expect in the coming months. I have recently taken a keen interest in amassing a specific set of sounds for some popular software synthesizers. I always believed in the do-it-yourself ideal and factory presets were never an option. There is something somewhat sterilized about loading up patches in your favorite soft synth without exploring how these patches are made. I do believe that most people do explore, but, especially within the industry, there is a large amount of content produced with very little tonal or creative integrity. Sociologically, theories of over-saturation come to mind, hence I will adopt a slightly different ethos: quality over quantity. So, please do not expect sample libraries or patches in the hundreds of thousands, but do expect that what is provided has been created with integrity and continual usability in mind.
With all that said, I really do hope that the content I provide will go to great use and that all readers find something of value here. Thank you for the interest and I can't wait to hear responses and critiques (don't be shy).
