FM3 unveil latest Buddha Machine

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    Tue, Nov 2, 2010, 16:15
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  • A new version of the little droning box will be available in December.
  • FM3 unveil latest Buddha Machine image
  • Beijing-based duo FM3 have revealed the next edition of the Buddha Machine, entitled Chan Fang, or "Zen Room." In short, the Buddha Machine is a small battery-operated box that plays a variety of loops and drones. It was designed by experimental artists Christiaan Virant and Zhang Jian under the name FM3, and since has achieved significant cult status since its debut in 2005. Acting as both an instrument and standalone musical work, it has appeared in or inspired countless other projects, including Robert Henke's 2006 album Layering Buddha and the compilation Jukebox Buddha, which featured remixes of the Buddha Machine's nine loops by Jan Jelinek, Thomas Fehlmann and Sunn O))) among others. Last year, proto-industrial outfit Throbbing Gristle released their own Buddha Machine in collaboration with Virant, entitled Gristleism, which featured loops of 13 of the group's classic tracks. Chan Fang will be the third version of the Buddha Machine so far. Unlike its predecessors, which feature up to nine short loops, Chan Fang houses four extended and "unadulterated" loops, all of which were performed on a seven-stringed Chinese traditional instrument called the Qin. To get an idea of what the Buddha Machine sounds like, head over to its official website, where all of the loops from the second model can be downloaded for free. FM3's Chan Fang Buddha Machine will ship from early December, 2010.
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