Reed Ghazala

Reed Ghazala

Qubais Reed Ghazala, an American author, photographer, composer, musician and experimental instrument builder, is recognized as the "Father of circuit bending," having discovered the technique in 1966, pioneered it, named it, and having taught it ever since. He has built experimental instruments for many prominent musicians and media companies including Tom Waits, Peter Gabriel, King Crimson, The Rolling Stones, and MTV, among others. Ghazala's work has been covered globally in the press and can be found being taught world-wide.

Ghazala's work is held in the permanent collections of New York City's Museum of Modern Art, The Guggenheim and The Whitney, as well as various galleries internationally. His influence upon creative electronic design is global, having originated the planet's first "grassroots electronic art movement." Reed's work with chance art (the root of circuit-bending) also involves studies in dye migration materials [http://www.flickr.com/photos/moonbear3325/sets/72057594060627572/] and Japanese suminagashi [http://www.flickr.com/photos/moonbear3325/sets/72057594063566111/] , as well as liquid, gel and smoke chambers, mobiles and pyrotechnics.

History

Reed accidentally discovered the technique of circuit bending in the 1960's when he left a toy amplifier in his desk and heard it start to emit sounds comparable to those produced by expensive synthesizers of the day. The amplifier's casing had been opened, exposing its inner circuitry and allowing it to short circuit when placed against the metal desk. It is this chance aspect of bending that serves as the foundation of circuit-bending.

Since discovering circuit bending, Reed has built countless instruments. These mostly consist of electronic toys modified with the circuit bending technique and customized until they barely resemble the original product. Reed has produced numerous audio compositions with these instruments which have been featured on a large number of albums. He has also authored a series of literary works relating to and teaching the circuit bending process, including his book, published by Wiley & Sons, entitled, "Circuit-Bending - Make Your Own Alien Instruments".

Reed has coined the term "immediate canvas" in his work with circuit bending, this is the concept that through circuit bending the hurdles of electronic design are avoided. Anyone can step up to an open circuit and create and need not know of electronic theory or daunting equations. Another term coined by Reed is BEAsape which means BioElectronicAudiosapien. When body contacts are used, the body of the performer is used as a capacitor, there is a fusion between man and machine into one purpose which Reed says is something new zoologically and musically. (Leonardo Music Journal, 2004, Vol. 14, pp.96-104)

Bibliography

* Circuit-Bending : Build Your Own Alien Instruments, Wiley 2005

Discography

* A Watch in the Sea, Sound Theater (Cassette) 1982
* Sound Theater One: Music and Event, Sound Theater (Cassette) 1982
* Mind Over Matter, Sound Theater (Cassette) 1983
* Sound Theater Two: Visions, Sound Theater (Cassette) 1983
* Bring Your Room, Sound Theater (Cassette) 1985
* The Dreams that Insects Dream, Sound Theater (Cassette) 1985
* Requiem for a Radio, Sound Theater (Cassette) 1985
* The Sound Theater Radio Special Sound Theater (Cassette) 1985
* Suite for a Radio and Turntable: Outdoor Operations, Sound Theater (Cassette) 1985
* Posters in the Underground, Sound Theater and Sound of Pig (Cassette) 1986
* Vinegar versus Cats, Sound Theater (Cassette) 1986
* Go Mad Xmas, Sound Theater (Cassette) 1987
* Natural Science, Sound Theater (Cassette) 1987
* Spzz Tapes, Sound Theater (Cassette) 1987
* Artifacts, Sound Theater (Cassette) 1988
* Behind the Emotional Mask, Sound Theater (Cassette) 1989
* Cassette Mythos: Feast of Hearing, CM (Cassette) 1989
* Schematic, Pointless Music (cassette) 199?
* Three Rings on the Ground, Pointless Music (Cassette) 199?
* Clones and Friends, EJAZ (Cassette) 199?
* Assemblage 1990, Realization Records (Cassette) 1990
* Anti White Bastards, PBK-USA (Cassette) 1991
* Cassette Mythos: Audio Alchemy, What's Next? Records (Cassette, CD) 1991
* Electricity, Pointles Music (Cassette) 1992
* From the pages of EMI, No. 7, Experimental Musical Instruments (Cassette) 1992
* 4 X 4, Ladd/Frith (CD) 1993
* Burning Suns of Shadow Worlds, Ladd/Frith (Cassette) 1993
* Drum, Spilling Audio (Cassette) 1993
* Gawk: Lore of the Ox Owl, Sacrifice (Cassette) 1993
* A Darker Solvent/EnTerres, Ediction, Spain (LP) 1993
* Postal Sound Surgery, Pointless Music (Cassette) 1993
* There is a Secret Garden, Sound Theater (Cassette) 1993
* From the pages of EMI, No. 8, Experimental Musical Instruments (Cassette) 1993
* Blacklight Braille: Sleep Not Yet, Vetco (CD) 1994
* Gawk: Marc Sloan, Reed Ghazala, Askance (Cassette) 1994
* No Dub, Spilling Audio (Cassette) 1994
* Objekt 5.5, Ladd/Frith (Cassette) 1994
* Objekt 5, Ladd/Frith (CD) 1994
* Objekt 666 (double cassette), Ladd/Frith (Cassette) 1994
* Redrum, Spilling Audio (Cassette) 1994
* Smells like 7, Spilling Audio (Cassette) 1994
* State of the Union, MR (CD) 1994
* The Little Fiddles in the Grass, Epitapes (Cassette) 1994
* From the pages of EMI, No. 9, Experimental Musical Instruments (Cassette) 1994
* Blacklight Braille: Songs for the Longhaired Son, Vetco (CD) 1995
* Better Things are Electric. M&M 1995
* Gawk-Gawd, Askance (CD) 1995
* Requiem for a Radio, Realization Records (CD) 1995
* Threnody to the New Victims of Hiroshima. Realization Records (CD) 1995
* From the pages of EMI, No. 10, Experimental Musical Instruments (Cassette) 199?
* Gravikords Whirlies and Pyrophones, Ellipsis Arts (CD/Book) 1996
* Blacklight Braille: Songs from Moonlight Snow (CD) 1996
* State of the Union, Atavistic (CD) 1996
* From the pages of EMI, No.11, Experimental Musical Instruments (Cassette) 1996
* Blacklight Braille: Into the world of the Gods, Vetco (CD) 1997
* The ReR Quarterly; v.4 #2; ReR (CD) 1997
* From the pages of EMI, No. 12, Experimental Musical Instruments (Cassette) 1997
* Blacklight Braille: Black Moon Selection, Vetco (CD) 1998
* Mad Art River; Askance (CD) 1998
* HOPE; Audio Research Editions (CD) 1998
* Blacklight Braille: Dietles Tavern; Vetco; (CD) 1999.
* Blacklight Braille: Sailing Away; Razzle 1999
* Blacklight Braille: Old Bones and Sacred Stones; Razzle; (CD) 1999
* Blacklight Braille; The castle of the Northern Crown; Razzle; (CD) 1999

External links

* [http://www.anti-theory.com Reed's home page]
* [http://www.furious.com/perfect/emi/reedghazala.html An interview with Reed]
* [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0764588877 Reed's book]
* [http://www.anti-theory.com/sales/sales_gallery/a/index.html See Reed's instruments]
* [http://www.anti-theory.com/soundart/circuitbend/ Reed's free how-to: the guide that launched the bent revolution]
* [http://www.anti-theory.com/reviews/ Reed's Requiem and Threnody music]


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