The internet's far reaching power can too often end up trivializing what it showcases. So it’s always exciting when we discover creative, semi-obscure treasures, like São Paulo-based producer Arthur Joly’s inventions.Joly is the founder of RecoHead Records, and the creator of the intriguing Reco-Synths. RecoHead's catalog lists artists like Jumbo-Elektro, Mamma Cadela, Cérebro Eletrônico and even Elza Soares, in addition to Joly's own crazy tunes, created under the name “Jolyman.” But what really draws attention to Joly’s work is a collection of videos in which he shows off his prized Reco-Synths, which work like a series of analog synthesizers, and follow the opposite progression of almost everything around us in terms of musical production.Arthur Joly enlightened us by answering some of our questions:The Creators Project: What is your relationship with music? How long have you worked in production?
Arthur Joly: I've been working as a producer for 11 years. Music is my passion, my day-to-day life. I live my work intensely. Sometimes I don't know how to distinguish it from pure fun.What are Reco-Synths? Tell us a little about their creation and how they work.
Reco-Synths are analog synthesizers that I’ve been building. In seven months, I've built around 10 different synths. Since I am self-taught in electronics, I evolve a little bit with each project. I think this year I will have the first marketable Reco Synths. They are unique tools, and they should be something remarkable in my career. All of this was inspired by a man I admire and respect very much, the late Robert Moog. He created machines that revolutionized music.The goal of these synthesizers is to create unique electronic and organic sounds. Basically, they convert electrical energy into sound waves. To create using Reco-Synths you don't need a computer. I use electronic maps, diagrams, components, wires, wood, knobs, etc. There are several computer programs that attempt to mimic analog synthesizers. I’d say they sound like plastic compared to the real deal.Did you pursue the idea of the Reco-Synths for commercial or emotional reasons?
It was mainly for emotional reasons. I have a good collection of analog synthesizers made in the United States and Europe. I've dreamed of having the largest and rarest of them, the Moog Modular. To get a Moog Modular in Brazil, besides luck (as nobody wants to sell them), you'd have to pay something around $60,000, including taxes and shipping. Since I really want to get my hands on a Moog Modular, I decided to build one of my own, which is the Reco-Synth Modular. Everything I've done so far were studies for this larger project.What have they provided you with so far?
Working on the Reco-Synths gives me moments of learning, relaxation and challenge. I like to create, to innovate and to see them finished. Friends, Facebook acquaintances and musicians who visit my studio regularly love and celebrate the idea, and they motivate me to keep going. Since in Brazil and Latin America there's only a handful of people who venture in this area, I believe I’ll have the pleasure of making the first Modular Synthesizer in South America. If it works commercially, I'll go deeper into the idea. I'll change my area of expertise, and I'll release more complex synthesizers to the world. Otherwise, I'll keep on with my musical life and my soon-to-be Modular Reco-Synth in my studio.What technologies have influenced you in creating Reco-Synths?
The technology of the past, when electronics were welded by hand. There were circuits capable of producing sounds that are revered today, but no longer built. Synthesizers produced today are disposable and sound like toys compared to older models.We saw a video in which you built an analog synth for a friend and named it Coube-Synth. Is there an official “pimp my keyboard” process, or you just do it for your closest friends?
There's nothing official yet, those are all prototypes. I built some synths for some musician friends. Coube-Synth, Souss-Synth, Paramécius, Fuzzorio… I'm not thinking of launching the whole “pimp my synth” commercially. Today I am building the Reco-Synth G.U.A.B for a DJ friend. It will be the most complex one I've built to date, and it's installed inside one of those 007 suitcases from the '60s. This is potentially a marketable product. If it works out fine and it becomes famous, it'll be the first to be manufactured commercially. A series of 15 synths.The video:What is the role of technology in your creative process, and in your life?
I always liked to find things out, to learn and decipher. I used to tear apart my toys with a screwdriver, dismantling and then assembling everything back. In music, I tried to learn to play several instruments, I also flirted with model airplanes. I love photography—I had a black and white processing lab. I love vintage equipment, and I filmed a lot in Super-8. When I found out I could build synthesizers, it was marvelous for me, as I decided to live as a musician. Today I know I am beginning the second half of a possible revolution in my life. This revolution was focused on building instruments that are used by several other musicians to make thousands of different songs. And that turns me on!You can watch all of Arthur’s videos on his Vimeo page.
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Arthur Joly: I've been working as a producer for 11 years. Music is my passion, my day-to-day life. I live my work intensely. Sometimes I don't know how to distinguish it from pure fun.What are Reco-Synths? Tell us a little about their creation and how they work.
Reco-Synths are analog synthesizers that I’ve been building. In seven months, I've built around 10 different synths. Since I am self-taught in electronics, I evolve a little bit with each project. I think this year I will have the first marketable Reco Synths. They are unique tools, and they should be something remarkable in my career. All of this was inspired by a man I admire and respect very much, the late Robert Moog. He created machines that revolutionized music.The goal of these synthesizers is to create unique electronic and organic sounds. Basically, they convert electrical energy into sound waves. To create using Reco-Synths you don't need a computer. I use electronic maps, diagrams, components, wires, wood, knobs, etc. There are several computer programs that attempt to mimic analog synthesizers. I’d say they sound like plastic compared to the real deal.Did you pursue the idea of the Reco-Synths for commercial or emotional reasons?
It was mainly for emotional reasons. I have a good collection of analog synthesizers made in the United States and Europe. I've dreamed of having the largest and rarest of them, the Moog Modular. To get a Moog Modular in Brazil, besides luck (as nobody wants to sell them), you'd have to pay something around $60,000, including taxes and shipping. Since I really want to get my hands on a Moog Modular, I decided to build one of my own, which is the Reco-Synth Modular. Everything I've done so far were studies for this larger project.
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Working on the Reco-Synths gives me moments of learning, relaxation and challenge. I like to create, to innovate and to see them finished. Friends, Facebook acquaintances and musicians who visit my studio regularly love and celebrate the idea, and they motivate me to keep going. Since in Brazil and Latin America there's only a handful of people who venture in this area, I believe I’ll have the pleasure of making the first Modular Synthesizer in South America. If it works commercially, I'll go deeper into the idea. I'll change my area of expertise, and I'll release more complex synthesizers to the world. Otherwise, I'll keep on with my musical life and my soon-to-be Modular Reco-Synth in my studio.What technologies have influenced you in creating Reco-Synths?
The technology of the past, when electronics were welded by hand. There were circuits capable of producing sounds that are revered today, but no longer built. Synthesizers produced today are disposable and sound like toys compared to older models.We saw a video in which you built an analog synth for a friend and named it Coube-Synth. Is there an official “pimp my keyboard” process, or you just do it for your closest friends?
There's nothing official yet, those are all prototypes. I built some synths for some musician friends. Coube-Synth, Souss-Synth, Paramécius, Fuzzorio… I'm not thinking of launching the whole “pimp my synth” commercially. Today I am building the Reco-Synth G.U.A.B for a DJ friend. It will be the most complex one I've built to date, and it's installed inside one of those 007 suitcases from the '60s. This is potentially a marketable product. If it works out fine and it becomes famous, it'll be the first to be manufactured commercially. A series of 15 synths.The video:What is the role of technology in your creative process, and in your life?
I always liked to find things out, to learn and decipher. I used to tear apart my toys with a screwdriver, dismantling and then assembling everything back. In music, I tried to learn to play several instruments, I also flirted with model airplanes. I love photography—I had a black and white processing lab. I love vintage equipment, and I filmed a lot in Super-8. When I found out I could build synthesizers, it was marvelous for me, as I decided to live as a musician. Today I know I am beginning the second half of a possible revolution in my life. This revolution was focused on building instruments that are used by several other musicians to make thousands of different songs. And that turns me on!You can watch all of Arthur’s videos on his Vimeo page.