Few people are better qualified to tell the story of FM synthesis than John Chowning. He discovered the complex and novel form of synthesis in 1967 while working and teaching at Stanford University. Since those days, FM synthesis has gone on to become an integral part of modern electronic music—its versatile sound has been featured on countless recordings in both the pop mainstream and the experimental underground.
Yet, despite its ubiquity, one thing about FM synthesis is that it’s a little difficult for the layperson to understand. Fortunately, Holly Herndon recently interviewed John Chowning for CTM Festival and HKW Berlin. Herndon actually studied under Chowning when she was studying at Stanford. The talk between the two makes for an interesting and informative discussion. Listen to the full interview above.
Learn about Holly Herndon’s attempts to crowdsource a post-internet database.
(Via Create Digital Music)
