Wren have changed the way I listen to music!

[Le DJ Abstrait]

I'd like to say that Wren have changed the way I listen to music: now, when I feel I want to listen to some music, I go to the computer, launch Wren, and load a random patch from the huge collection of Blue Hell patches. Sometimes I listen to it all day!!! Otherwise I'll tune in to Electro-Music's experimental radio channel. A new way of life! I love it!

[blue hell]

That is great! Discovering something new that is

[InfernalGrape]

I agree, it's cool to load patch and leave it sounding and morphing. Surreal explorations arrive that way

[Le DJ Abstrait]

I find it fascinating to hear the way it evolves and transforms, like if it's alive!

[blue hell]

[Le DJ Abstrait]

We certainly share the same love of self-playing patches on the modular synthesizer: in the music world, I find self-generative music is like some alternative reality!
It all started when I studied electroacoustic music in the 80's. How I loved spending entire nights in the studio, noodling away on the Aries, recording bits on the Revox for future compositions! This feeling got revived when I discovered the Nord Modular G2 demo. And now there's Wren. This, combined with the crazy instruments people make on Reaktor and the soundscapes I record make a fascinating universe.
Big, big thanks for creating Wren, and all those patches!

[kkissinger]

Jan,

Thank you so much for sharing your story—it was a real joy to read. It adds such depth to Wren, knowing the path that led to its creation.

I especially enjoyed reading about your discovery of the Nord Modular, and how that idea of “noodles”—something between order and chaos—still carries through your work. That spark clearly lives on in Wren. Using it really does feel like exploring something alive and open-ended, which is exactly what you hoped it would be.

The availability of powerful desktop computers in recent years has been a real boon. Wren has truly come into its own for many of us. It’s now an essential part of my setup, and integrates beautifully with my hardware. I use it often, and each time, I’m grateful for the care, and vision you’ve put into it.

Though we’ve never met in person, I feel fortunate to know you through your work—and I want to thank you for all you’ve done. Wren is something special.

[kkissinger]

[Le DJ Abstrait]

Yes, Kevin: I still have my Aries, although it haven't been fired in a while. A number of modules have unfortunately died, and since the old ICs are now unobtainium it will never be in its full glory again. The one at Concordia has been decomissioned for the same reason. Mine was given to me by Kevin Austin, who taugt electroacoustic music at Concordia University in Montreal. Kevin was also, I think, the distributor for Aries at least in Quebec, and he built his and the one at Concordia. I think we corresponded at some time in the past on the subject of the Aries...