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May 31, 2012 | 12:00 a.m. CST
Robotic sounds spill out of the speakers of what used to be a Speak & Spell. Although it might sound like random humming and high-pitched beeping, this device demonstrates the basics of circuit bending, a trend in the music industry.
When the device is turned on, it emits a series of R2-D2-like noises that vary depending on which point of the circuit board is touched.
The violet-colored children’s toy, when resting on its plastic front, shows a disordered jumble of yellow and black wires connected to a green circuit board. Although it might look like a complicated electrical entanglement, it was created in a matter of minutes for the sheer purpose of demonstration.
“[Circuit bending] is basically, in a nutshell, creative short-circuiting, and you’re trying to get results and delve into an interface,” Daniel Park says. “It’s like being able to pinpoint control over chaos.”
In other words, circuit bending is simply controlling circuits of electricity that produce a sound. This technology can be applied to musical instruments and creates a futuristic, electronic sound.
Park, 34, constructs modified instruments. He considers this not only music but also an intuitive art form. “You’re just experimenting and seeing what happens,” Park says. “I want to explore sound and make music. That’s my bottom line.” His first experiment took place seven years ago after buying a cheap Casio keyboard.
Park distributes his circuit-bent devices to producers and studios, mostly from Australia, England and Japan.
“It’s one of those things like jazz where it’s not really appreciated as much in our own country,” he says.
He builds each of the devices in his home and handles all the business aspects. He’s sold more than 500 devices, which range in price from $300 to $1,000.
Although there are many different approaches people have taken with this technique, Park relies on his musical background while experimenting. When toying around with wiring and sounds, he seeks changes in tones and patterns.
Throughout the years, Park has worked with musical instruments such as synths and keyboards as well as electronic children’s toys. The price of the object determines how he will approach it. With cheap toys such as Speak & Spell, Park tends to get a little more daring. But when he’s working with instruments, he’s focused and cautious.
“People have done toys and stuff like that, but I haven’t seen people really get into complex audio equipment — that’s where I stand out,” he says. “It’s really risky to a certain point ’cause you could be damaging this stuff.”
Although electricity is involved, no experience as an electrician is required. “Part of the excitement is that it’s a street-level art,” Park says. “It’s very accessible, and anyone can do this sort of thing.” However, he warns about possible electrical shocks.
Much like the intricate and contorted paths on a circuit board, Park is challenging the standards of instruments by breathing life into his creations. “I treat each one like its own living organism,” he says. As a musical Dr. Frankenstein, Park takes these old machines and makes them do something completely different.