Hannah Peel & Richard Norris - 6 Music Instrumental - 4. Beats & Bytes

HANNAH PEEL & RICHARD NORRIS - 6 MUSIC INSTRUMENTAL - 4. BEATS & BYTES (320kbs-m4a/137mb/60mins)
BBC Radio 6 Music broadcast: 5th December 2024

Hannah Peel & Richard Norris chart a musical history through iconic instruments, with the 808 and Ableton in the spotlight in this final episode.

The 808 drum machine is one of the most iconic instruments of all time. Richie Hawtin explains how the 808, alongside the 909, was instrumental to techno, his music as Plastikman, and throughout his career. And Jlin shows how the sounds of the 808 are found throughout her production, despite never having owned a machine.

Ableton is one of the leading music making software programmes on the planet. One of its creators, Gerhard Behles, explains how the freedom of 90s Berlin influenced the birth of the software. Diving deeper into music and computers, Holly Herndon and Marta Salogni remember using AI to make Holly’s album PROTO, and artist Patten discusses the inspiration and challenges of using text to audio AI to create his boundary pushing sounds.

From the Theremin to the MPC, the 808 to Ableton, Instrumental takes drum machines, samplers, synths, and software as a springboard to celebrate creativity in all its facets. Across the series hear from fellow musicians, creatives and instrument builders including Brian Eno, Carl Cox, Marta Salogni, Roger Linn, Jlin, Jacob Collier, Richie Hawtin, Andre Huang, Patten, The Mad Professor, Shiva Feshareki and more, on how people have been using, and misusing these tools to create new and wonderful music.

Andy Cooper - Chase On The Ave
LL Cool J - I Need A Beat
John Foxx - Plaza [Virgin]
Inner City - Good Life [10]
Plastikman - Plasticity [Nova Mute]
Jon Hopkins - Neon Pattern Drum [Domino]
FKA Twigs - Figure 8
Jlin - Erotic Heart
Jlin (feat. Phillip Glass) - The Precision Of Infinity [Planet Mu]
Beyond The Wizards Sleeve - Diagram Girl [Phantasy]
Basic Channel - Q1.1
Flying Lotus - Getting There [Warp]
Max Cooper - Perpetual Motion [Mesh]
Loraine James - I DM U [Hyperdub]
Andrew Huang - Heartbeat
Holly Herndon - Canaan (Live Training) [4AD]
Holly Herndon - Evening Shades (Live Training) [4AD]
patten - Inhale [555-5555]
patten - Forever
patten - Nimzo