One of the most talked about performances from Moogfest was a set from Lori Napoleon, AKA Antenes, which featured performances on some almost familiar-looking vintage synths.
The above video from Evan Rodgers (Via Motherboard) shows the performance in full, with much of Antenes' setup being made up of homemade instruments crafted from repurposed telephone exchange equipment.
The switchboard synth, as Lori explains in the documentary I Dream of Wires, came from how she saw similarities between old telephone exchange equipment and modular synthesizers. During her studies in New York, she then set about converting the old bakelite-built communication gear into bespoke instruments.
The collection of upcycled telecom boards (ranging from desktop hotel switchboards to larger exchange machines) have been turned into a synthesizer, circuit bent voice-changer, sequencer, comb filter/oscillator module, and ring mod/distortion unit.
For more information and images of the Exchange studio go to the Meridian7 website.
