Micah Frank

rss twitter youtube vimeo vimeosoundcloud

Finally finished the prototype for Tectonic after 2 months of work. Tectonic is a system I’ve been developing to create realtime synthesis based on data from seismic activity. It will ultimately be a complete install with a projector and over 12 speakers (see models below). This is the first working prototype I have set up in the studio.

I’ve already begun making new implementations and alterations. It’s quite amazing how flexible the system actually is - and a very powerful content generator. The other day I created an entire live performance powered by the barrage of seismic activity in Chile. It really is endless…

About Tectonic

Tectonic is a sound sculpture created in real time by earthquakes as they occur across the globe. A tightly integrated system between Max/MSP, Google Earth and Ableton Live processes a stream of real-time data that is translated into synthesis and sample playback parameters.

When an earthquake occurs, seismic data is relayed to the system, sound is produced and Google Earth immediately flies to the coordinates of the latest earthquake giving us a visual representation of the newest developments. As multiple earthquakes occur daily, the sculpture builds, enmeshing itself in a complex soundscape of textures and tones - every second, different from the last and never repeating the same stage twice.

Various install options for Tectonic

For the Able10 anniversary, I made a Live Pack that expands on some of the kits, grooves and Live Racks in my scrapyard of sounds. I built the song ‘Metropolis’ around the sounds and called in Atarah Valentine to lay down the vocals. The Live Pack is filled with very expressive kits that you can download for free here: http://www.ableton.com/able10-artist-packs

For the Able10 anniversary, I made a Live Pack that expands on some of the kits, grooves and Live Racks in my scrapyard of sounds. I built the song ‘Metropolis’ around the sounds and called in Atarah Valentine to lay down the vocals. The Live Pack is filled with very expressive kits that you can download for free here: http://www.ableton.com/able10-artist-packs

Original music for Olay “Bank”
produced at Music for Picture, NYC

Some excerpts from Kamoni’s live set using Ableton Live and a DrumKat. Includes some more jungle, dubstep, dnb improvised freestylin’.

Kamoni on Phuq Radio

Biography

Micah Frank
Photo by Rachel Papo

One of New York’s most prolific young sound programmers, Micah Frank can be found performing live with some of NYC’s hottest avant-garde acts or behind the music on your TV set during commercial breaks. His work encompasses everything from live electronics to sonification art and sound design for the world’s leading music manufacturers. 

As Kamoni (www.kamoni.net), his solo assemblage of jungle beats, cerebral sounds, and chopped up samples has received an international audience as he implements a unique, dynamic use of percussion hardware controllers, synthesizers and software.  He currently performs and co-produces with NYC based artist Atarah Valentine. In recent years he has performed throughout The US, Canada and Europe.

Micah is the lead developer at Puremagnetik (www.puremagnetik.com), a boutique sound design company he founded in 2006. He has contributed to numerous factory sound libraries including Native Instruments FM8, KORE and Ableton’s Operator, Sampler and Drum Machines. Micah’s work has been featured in Electronic Musician, Sound on Sound, XLR8R, Remix, Recording, Computer Music, Knowledge, Keys and numerous other publications.

Here’s an interview with Loopmasters from a few months back. Discussing Puremagnetik stuff and sound design.
Click Here & go there

Here’s an interview with Loopmasters from a few months back. Discussing Puremagnetik stuff and sound design.

Click Here & go there

Computer Music “Eye on the Industry”
Read it here

Computer Music “Eye on the Industry”

Read it here

In the 2nd half of 2008, I took various old drum machines and an mpc with me wherever I traveled. In passing time I documented the machines in various locations and created this collage of sounds from each machine.