Beginning his toy modifications 10 years ago, Duffy’s ‘modifying procedure’ goes something like this: Take apart a battery-operated toy that makes sound and locate the circuit board. Using a piece of wire with solder on either end, connect together parts of the circuit board while the toy is making sound. Generally, the result sounds like Kraftwerk in a creche. Another way is to lick your fingers and just go prodding around, touching two points at once. However, in Duffy’s experience, “the less you know about it the better. It is like stumbling round an alien landscape in the dark.” When he finds connections he likes, he solders the wires in place and adds a switch.
– Gifted Originals » Sound of music from discarded play thingsBrumNotes interview with Modified Toy Orchestra
This is a scan of an interview with Modified Toy Orchestra from the Sept 2010 issue of BrumNotes magazine.
Click for big.
Modified Toy Orchestra perform “Up above the world so high” Live footage from the recent UK premier of Plastic planet at the Birmingham Town Hall.
Modified Toy Orchestra perform “Great kings fall” Live footage from the recent UK premier of Plastic planet at the Birmingham Town Hall.
The Modified Toy Orchestra does two things very well. Firstly, they take circuit bent instruments and toys and make great live music with them. That’s not easy. Making interesting noises is one thing, using them in tunes in the studio another but creating fully fledged compositions and an immersive live show is something far above and beyond that. Secondly, they do FUN.
– Sam Underwood aka Glatze on the Town Hall gig.Last night’s gig was fantastic, beautifully structured, performed and played. It looked great, the sound was good – if a little genteel volume-wise and the music stunning. I’m never sure what the driving ambition of the MTO is, but if it is popular global acclaim then surely they have the package here to deliver that for them.
– Stan’s Cafe’s blog on the Town Hall gig.About me
A fan-blog for Brian Duffy, his Modified Toy Orchestra, and related endeavours.
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This blog has no connection with Brian Duffy, Warm Circuit or anything like that. It's a homage, a monument of love. We love you Brian.
"Brian Duffy, award winning sound artist and creator of the Modified Toy Orchestra, has been at the forefront of a world wide underground movement called circuit bending which involves rescuing childrens electronic toys from car boot sales, and converting them into new strange and wonderfully sophisticated musical instruments. Taking them apart, he finds new connections hidden within each toys circuits that reveal new sounds, exposing the surplus value of redundant technology. The toys are then reassembled including switches and dials with which to control this surplus value. The results of this process can be shockingly beautiful, funny and extreme and have led to Brian being labeled a genius, a madman, and a national treasure."
