The Bei Area – MachineDrum • Monomachine • SB01 – Live Electronic Set – SubZERO Festival 2026.06.05
In 2020, I began a journey with a discontinued drum machine, the Elektron MachineDrum. Four years later, I added the Monomachine, its six-voice tabletop synth twin.
At first, the idea behind dipping a toe into the world of these devices was to use them as studio pieces, sound modules where I could design sounds to be used in my forthcoming debut album. But over time, through making the album and studying how other artists used these machines, I was inspired to go deeper. I wanted to learn how to use them in a way they were clearly designed to be used, as instruments capable of live performance in themselves.
The Elektron MachineDrum and Monomachine are digital, distinctive, and deep. They are capable of a variety of synthesis techniques (subtractive, FM, wavetable, and formant synthesis), complex modulation, step-locked parameter changes, automation, mutes, global effects, all of which can be saved as machine states called “patterns.” These patterns can be prepared and loaded for live performance, chained together, and further manipulated to create truly live performances that can never be repeated the same way again.
To this duo, I added an another monophonic synthesizer capable of producing basses, leads, arpeggios, and other sound effects – Superlative SB01 – a modern clone of a classic synth used by Radiohead, Boards of Canada, and other notable artists.
What all this means for any of you who may already know me primarily as a guitarist is that I’m using these machines as if I’m conducting a robot orchestra that moves through multiple acts/scenes, harnessing both randomness and intention in precise ways.
While this set represents a culmination of six years and hundreds of hours of study, more importantly, it marks a new chapter in my musical journey. This small tented show at a local street festival in Downtown San Jose was an important proving ground for me as an artist and a return to live performance after a long hiatus of 16 years.
Watch the full set here: