Ross Healy is not only the founding member of VICMOD, the co-owner of VICMOD Records and part of the VICMOD ENSemble, but also performs and records prolifically as This Digital Ocean, Amnesia, Roland Oberheim, Oskar T Oram, as well as Cray and many more.
Cray’s longform Modulisme session explores the diversity of Healy’s modular electronic music while taking the listener on a journey into inner and outer space.
When did you first become aware of modular synthesis as a particular way of making music, whether as part of electronic music in general or more specifically as its own particular format, and what did you think of it at the time?
I am sure the first modular music I heard was probably Phaedra by Tangerine Dream or maybe The Human League‘s Travelog.What was your first module or system?
Serge Modular 5 panel system. I sold a Roland Jupiter 8 to fund it.
How long did it take for you to become accustomed to patching your own synthesizer together out of its component parts?
Pretty much after a few days of constant patching. Here is an early patch, nothing amazing but… Pretty much all my synths are up on my YouTube channel.
Do you prefer single-maker systems (for example, Buchla, Make Noise, Erica Synths, Roland, etc) or making your own modular synthesizer out of individual components form whatever manufacturer that match your needs.
I have a Buchla system and a euro system. The euro system is a mish-mash of companies and Buchla is 90% Buchla.East Coast, West Coast or No-Coast (as Make Noise put it)? Or is it all irrelevant to how you approach synthesis?
I am synthesist. I am not tied to any style or geographical location on earth.
Do you tend to use pure modular systems, or do you bring in outside effect and devices when playing or recording?
I do like to use external effects / plug-ins via Ableton Live or pedals when performing live.Do you find that you record straight with no overdubbing, or do you end up multi-tracking and editing tracks in post-production?
It depends on what I am trying to achieve. So both really. I have my secret production techniques that I have discovered over the years.
Do you pre-patch your system when playing live, or do you tend to improvise on the spot?
With the VICMOD ENSemble I tend to patch live. With my Cray performances I will have a pre-patch happening.
Which module could you not do without, or which module do you you use the most in every patch?
I love the Hordijk Benjolin. It just adds a beautiful tone when pinging the filter and noise element.What do you think that can only be achieved by modular synthesis that other forms of electronic music cannot or makes harder to do?
The very nature of modular means that for most of us who do not buy a pre-made (one company) system, it gives us the freedom to make your own sound worlds. I do like that in electronic music, electronic instruments like synthesizers, effects etc are all very much like psychedelic trip machines that bend time and space. I love electronic music because it takes you to other created sonic landscapes.
Have you used various forms of software modular (eg Reaktor Blocks, Softube Modular, VCVRack) or digital hardware with modular software editors (eg Nord Modular, Axoloti, Organelle), and if so what do you think of them?
I do love AudioMulch, Max MSP, Nord, Reaktor Blocks etc. Anything to give me a new interesting sound. As a sound artist I am all about sound, so if hitting a glass works or patching up a monster patch, the end result is ultimately what I am after.
What module or system you wish you had?
I have been happy with my euro system and haven’t changed it in three years. I have stopped looking daily at new modules as you can just get sucked in and addicted.Have you ever built a DIY module, or would you consider doing so?
Yes I have and that is the very reason I started VICMOD. Its great to solder something together and then use it. Soldering is just a level down [from] patching.
Which modular artist has influenced you the most in your own music?
No artist has influenced me. I appear to be on my own trajectory. In electronic music it should be possible to create your own soundscapes. I am not so interested in creating an acoustic snare drum, bass drum etc. I have the universe of possibility at my fingertips.
Can you hear the sound of individual modules when listening to music since you’ve been part of the modular world — how has it affected (or not) the way that you listen to music?
I have been producing electronic music since 1987 and had to train myself to not analyse other people’s music. It just ruins the pleasure of listening. Sure, I know the obvious sounds, TB303, TR909, TR808 etc, but I just appreciate the end result.What have you been working on lately, and do you have any upcoming releases or performances?
I have about sixty full CDs of compositions and have a few albums ready to go if I just compiled them. After releasing twenty-eight albums to date, the enthusiasm to release waxes and wanes. I just like creating some new world pretty much daily for myself. I do have a four-hour mix online soon
Can you outline how you patched and performed your Modulisme session?
My Modulisme session is actually me going through loads of unreleased material and creating a flow. It’s a four-hour mix, a sonic psychedelic journey into other worlds.Who would your dream collaborator be for a Modulisme session or otherwise?
Richard D James would be cool 😉
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