“Modular Works 2015Q1” reviewed by Whisperinandhollerin

As the title suggests, the four compositions featured on this album came into being in the first three months of the year, and is a counterpart to last year’s series of ‘Modular Works 2014’ (Q1-4) releases. While the pieces may on the surface appear to be sparse, darkly atmospheric ambient works, there was a definite …

“Modular Works 2015Q1” reviewed by Vital Weekly

I know I get into deep trouble doing what I am about to do now: review a download only release. It will spawn mails that scream ‘me mine me mine too’, or ‘what has Jos Smolders that I don’t?’ (let’s see how many got this last sentence, and immediately mailed me when they read the …

“Modular Works 2015Q1” reviewed by Touching Extremes

The metaphrasis of musique concrete presented by Jos Smolders in this short cycle of rather recent compositions has the merit of expressing carefully selected concepts with logical precision. Repeated plunges into the realm of impenetrability also reveal many of its attractive features. The three movements of “For RH” (about time that someone dedicated a work …

Futurónica 149

Episode 149 of Futurónica, a broadcast in Rádio Manobras (91.5 MHz in Porto, 18h30) and Rádio Zero (21h GMT, repeating on Tuesday at 01h) airs tomorrow, September 18th. The playlist of Futurónica 149 is: Jos Smolders, TomTomTomTom (2015, Modular Works 2015Q1, Crónica) Jos Smolders, Through the Looking Glass (1997, Tulpas, Selektion) Jos Smolders, For RH …

New release: Jos Smolders’s “Modular Works 2015Q1”

Crónica is very proud to present the new release by Jos Smolders “Modular Works 2015Q1”, available today as a free download from Crónica or Crónica’s Bandcamp. I composed these works during the first months of 2015. They are clearly defined constructions, built in a modernistic fashion. The sounds have a character of their own (objets …

“Modular Works 2015Q1” reviewed by The Wire

In the recent surge of modular synth use, the hardware and the process occasionally overtake the music. Lost is the power of modular systems as tools for composition. In this latest installment of his continuing Modular Works series, Dutch underground maven, Vital Weekly contributor and longtime mastering engineer Jos Smolders corrects this imbalance. Smolders made …

“Modular Works 2015Q1” reviewed by Gonzo Circus

Kort daarna heeft Smolders “Modular Works 2015Q1” uitgebracht, een muzikaal verslag van zijn bezigheden in het eerste kwartaal van dit jaar. Zoals de titel al aangeeft, is de muziek gemaakt met een modulaire, analoge synthesizer. Drie titels verwijzen naar Robert Hampson (Loop, Main), maar het album is eerder geïnspireerd door Pierre Henry. Smolders masterde een …