This project brings together composer Ruben Zahra, electronic music producers Duo Blank and visual performer Toni Gialanze in a work which is a tribute to F Schneider (1947-2020) – founder of the German electronic band Kraftwerk.

“The Machine” pushed Ruben Zahra out of his comfort zone when he was introduced for the first time to work by Schneider, he arranged the musical electronic arrangement of “The Machine”. Duo Blank ( Edwin Balzan and Frank Cachia) proposed the performing platform for this performance which will consist of a machine built out of an array of launchpads, this will serve as a control panel for the four artists.

A note from Ruben Zahra:  ‘The Machine’ is based on loops, beats and patterns inspired by four Kraftwerk songs: Europe Endless (1977), Home Computer (1981), Computer Love (1981) and Autobahn (1974). The first step in my process was to identify loops in the song and generate them using iOS music production apps. To generate my loops I used three different synths: Minimoog Model D (Moog), AudiKit Synth One Synthesizer (AudioKit Pro) and AudioKit FM Player 2: DX Synth (AudioKit Pro). The beats were created using the Patterning 2 drum machine (Olympia Noise Co.). The objective here was not to produce a cover version of the songs but rather to “re-interpret” the music in a postmodern deconstructive approach. One of the most important functions I applied to the production was the use of sequencers that generate a random (stochastic) process. This allowed me to generate unpredictable musical variations that diverge from the original material and yet may still be perceived and attributed to the unique sound world of Kraftwerk.