Tone Science sub-label, from DiN records, concludes it’s exploration of the world of modular synth music.
Since the first volume in the Tone Science series was released in 2018, seventy-two musicians in total have joined in with this celebration of the musical possibilities of modular synthesis. These artists have been from a huge range of backgrounds but have all shared the unifying purpose of showcasing the incredible variety of sonic possibilities these instruments can offer.
The intervening seven years have seen the modular synth world expanding at an exponential rate and whilst one wouldn’t go so far as to say these synths are mainstream, they are certainly far more prevalent than in the past. It’s especially gratifying to see so many musicians now either play solo sets with them or to include them in their onstage arsenal.
Thus we come to this, the final instalment in the Tone Science series. Nothing lasts forever and certainly stopping at this nice round number of ten seems like a good way to not only end the series but to release the Final Patch, a real celebration of what has gone before and perhaps to hint at what is possible for the future. A beautifully packaged double CD featuring twenty artists who have appeared on previous iterations of the series, it really is a who’s who of modular synth musicians. The release is accompanied by an eight-page booklet with an essay by Neil Mason and some final words from the guiding force behind the whole project, Ian Boddy, label boss at DiN. And as Boddy so succinctly puts it in his liner notes, “for me, despite the technological nature of the equipment, the emotional quality of the music is the single most important factor”. The Final Patch certainly delivers on that ethos.
Disc One
01 When Water Feels Like Rain by Andrea Cichecki 7:36
02 Sastrugi by Field Lines Cartographer 6:56
03 Network of Continuations by Benge 6:00
04 Azurite Waterfalls by Bluetech 5:51
05 LCM360 by Ian Boddy 6:18
06 Fata Morgana by Swansither 6:46
07 Ingordigiousness by Paul Nagle 8:33
08 Morning Walk by Parallel Worlds 5:30
09 Stalked by Nigel Mullaney 5:38
10 Accumulations by Todd Barton 5:51
Total Time: 65:19
Disc Two
01 Between The Shadows by Panic Girl 6:50
02 A Quiet Sun by Lyonel Bauchet 8:31
03 Hypnagogic by Chris Carter 6:52
04 Critical Points by Sarah Belle Reid 5:28
05 From The Thaw by Hainbach 2:46
06 How Are You? by Batchas 4:00
07 Feelers by Polypores 6:05
08 Banana, Designation by Scanner 8:32
09 Diagonal by d’Voxx 9:28
10 Spent by Nathan Moody 6:16
Total Time: 65:10
