History of circuit bending

Precursors and Philosophical Foundations (1940s-1960s)

1. Musique Concrète (1940s): Pierre Schaeffer's experiments with tape manipulation laid groundwork for electronic sound manipulation. Example: Schaeffer's "Étude aux chemins de fer" (1948) used recorded train sounds.
2. Fluxus Movement (1960s): Art movement emphasizing artistic process and audience interaction. Example: Nam June Paik's "Random Access" (1963) invited viewers to create sounds by moving a playback head over audio tape.
3. John Cage's Indeterminacy (1950s-1960s): Cage's philosophy of chance operations in music influenced circuit bending's embrace of unpredictability. Example: "Music of Changes" (1951) used the I Ching to determine musical elements.

II. Early Experiments and Discoveries (1960s-1970s)

4. Reed Ghazala's Accidental Discovery (1966): Short-circuited battery-powered amplifier produced unusual sounds, inspiring Ghazala's future work.
5. David Tudor's "Rainforest" (1968): Early example of repurposing electronic devices for musical purposes. Example: Tudor used transducers to vibrate physical objects, creating a sound environment.
6. Michel Waisvisz's "Crackle Box" (1975): Early handheld electronic instrument based on touch-sensitive circuit bending principles.
7. DIY Electronics Movement: Emergence of DIY electronics kits and magazines. Example: Popular Electronics magazine (1954-1985) fostered a culture of electronic experimentation.

III. Development and Definition (1980s-1990s)

8. Reed Ghazala's Continued Experiments: Creation of the "Incantor" series using modified Speak & Spells. Example: The "Common Speak Incantor" became one of Ghazala's signature instruments.
9. Coining of "Circuit Bending" (1992): Ghazala's article "Circuit-Bending and Living Instruments" in Experimental Musical Instruments magazine.
10. Nicolas Collins' Hardware Hacking: Collins' workshops and writings helped spread circuit bending techniques. Example: "Handmade Electronic Music" (2006) became a seminal text in the field.
11. Trojan Horse Records (1990s): Label dedicated to releasing circuit-bent music. Example: Released albums by pioneers like Qubais Reed Ghazala and Mark Weinstein.

IV. Popularization and Artistic Recognition (2000s)

12. Circuit Bending Festivals:

• Bent Festival (New York, 2004-2008)
• Circuitrons (UK, 2006-2009)
• BENT2010 (Berlin, 2010)

13. Academic Integration:

• CalArts offered one of the first university courses on circuit bending (early 2000s)
• MIT's Media Lab incorporated circuit bending into various projects

14. Commercial Circuit-Bent Instruments:

• Casper Electronics: Peter Edwards' company offering pre-bent instruments
• Highly Liquid: Specializing in MIDI retrofits for vintage gear

15. Notable Artists and Works:

• Tristram Cary: Used circuit-bent elements in compositions like "Noyes Fludde" (2005)
• Tim Kaiser: Created elaborate performance setups with multiple circuit-bent devices
• Merzbow: Incorporated circuit-bent sounds in noise music compositions

16. Circuit Bending in Popular Music:

• Björk used circuit-bent instruments on her album "Medúlla" (2004)
• Nine Inch Nails incorporated circuit-bent sounds in "Year Zero" (2007)
• Aphex Twin's "Drukqs" (2001) featured modified keyboards and toys

V. Expansion and Diversification (2010s-Present)

17. Video Circuit Bending:

• Karl Klomp's "Videobending Performance" series (2010s)
• James Connolly and Kyle Evans' Circuit Bent Digital Video Synthesizer

18. Integration with Maker Movement:

• Circuit bending workshops at Maker Faires worldwide
• Adafruit Industries offering circuit bending-related tutorials and kits

19. Advanced Circuit Bending Techniques:

• Digital circuit bending: Artemiy Pavlov's "Glitchmachines" software plugins
• AI integration: Google's Magenta project exploring AI-assisted music creation, including glitch-like effects

20. Online Communities and Resources:

• GetLoFi blog (2004-present): Sharing circuit bending tutorials and news
• Circuit-Benders Yahoo Group (early 2000s-2020): Major online community
• Reddit's r/CircuitBending subreddit: Active discussion forum

21. Environmental Impact Awareness:

• Recyclism collective: Focusing on electronic waste art
• Benjamin Gaulon's "ReFunct Media" series: Exhibitions of repurposed electronic waste

22. Notable Contemporary Circuit Benders:

• Gijs Gieskes: Created the "Analog HD" video bending device
• Moritz Simon Geist: "Sonic Robots" project featuring circuit-bent robotic instruments
• Sarah Lamp: Circuit bending as feminist practice, challenging tech gender norms

VI. Theoretical Developments and Cultural Impact

23. Circuit Bending Philosophy:

• Garnet Hertz and Jussi Parikka's "Zombie Media" concept: Reanimating obsolete technology
• Kim Cascone's "The Aesthetics of Failure" essay: Contextualizing glitch and circuit bending in broader electronic music

24. Influence on Consumer Electronics:

• Korg's Monotron series: Designed to be easily circuit-bent
• Teenage Engineering's Pocket Operators: Incorporate glitch-like features

25. Circuit Bending in Popular Culture:

• "Halt and Catch Fire" TV series: Character creates circuit-bent instruments
• "Bandersnatch" (Black Mirror): Features modified ZX Spectrum computer

26. Crossover with Modular Synthesis:

• Bastl Instruments: Creating modules inspired by circuit bending aesthetics
• Circuit-bent modules in Eurorack format, like the Mystic Circuits "0-CTRL"

VII. Future Directions and Speculative Developments

27. Nano-Scale Circuit Bending:

• Theoretical work on manipulating molecular electronics for unpredictable results

28. Bioelectronic Circuit Bending:

• Speculative art projects exploring "bending" of neural interfaces

29. Quantum Circuit Bending:

• Early experiments in manipulating quantum circuits for artistic purposes

30. VR and AR Circuit Bending:

• Virtual reality environments simulating circuit bending experiences
• Augmented reality apps for visualizing potential bends on physical devices