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I heard about it 10-15 years ago and thought it sounded neat, but didn’t have an interest in actually trying it. A few years ago I modified a cassette deck and it was a lot of fun, so I started trying other stuff. I really started focusing/obsessing on it once shelter in place started.

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Circuit Bending & the Art of Electronic Discovery

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Peaking Lights and the Sound of Recycled Electronics: Sound Builders

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NEW YORK electriCITY: episode 1: Circuit Bending

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Reed Ghazala, the Father of Circuit Bending: Sound Builders

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I originally discovered circuit bending through artists I was listening to back in highschool. I was really into Crystal Castles, and read an interview with them where they mention using "circuit bent"instruments. I googled the term having never heard it before & was instantly drawn in by the creative & experimental nature of it all.

Though, I actually didn't start circuit bending until nearly a decade later. All through school I tended to focus my creative energy on digital mediums. Photoshop, Logic Pro, Final Cut, etc. It wasnt until a few years ago that I finally just got tired of making things via a computer screen, and decided that I wanted to learn to make things outside of the digital realm, real tangible things. Thats when I remembered circuit bending and decided to finally take a crack at it. I knew nothing about soldering, electronics, or synthesis when I started, so I just started small and worked my way up.

The first thing I realized once I had started to get the hang of things was just how much I loved working with my hands. It was something I had never done before then, but it felt great. That's the aspect that feels more "organic" to me, imo. Just building actual objects. Theres something especially rewarding to me about making real, physical art, especially in an era where physical media in general is increasingly rare. It feels like it connects me to the past in a weird way.

I love the whole recycling aspect too. Taking a junk keyboard from 30+ years ago, something worth about $5, and turning into a unique musical powerhouse capable of glitchy distortion that its original designers never dreamt of. Making something old and discarded valuable again. To this day I still get the biggest kick out of bending when i'm able to add additional functionality to an instrument that wasn't there before. I love to turn toys into real, versatile instruments. It's my favorite part of the whole thing.

As for the social aspect, for me its purely online. I imagine that if the pandemic hadnt happened, I probably would have tried to link up with more circuit benders in my area by this point... It's something i'd like to do, but it just hasn't happened. There used to be a few makerspaces in my area that would have been good hubs for that sort of thing, but they've closed in the just couple years, so.. Idk. I'm sure it'll happen at some point. Though, bending is a hobby with a half life, so maybe all of the old Casios will dry up and dissapear before I ever do lol. Who knows

I will say though, the online community has been incredible. the people on this sub have taught me a TON, and I wouldn't know as much as I do without their willingness to help & share info. I'm actually working on building a circuit bending wiki atm, kind of in an attempt to give back to everyone for all the help they've given me over the years. Real salt of the earth people ime

Anyway. Sorry for the long, rambling post here. Hope that it helps lmao. If you have any questions feel free to ask

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I originally discovered circuit bending through artists I was listening to back in highschool. I was really into Crystal Castles, and read an interview with them where they mention using "circuit bent"instruments. I googled the term having never heard it before & was instantly drawn in by the creative & experimental nature of it all.

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Circuit Bending: The Science of Breaking Toys | Erik Brunvand | TEDxSaltLakeCity

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Circuit bending as an aesthetic phenomenon
- Jørgen Skjulstad

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Circuit-bending and sustainability transitions. Exploring ways of re-thinking and re-using technologies
- Michele Cagol, Martin Dodman

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The Glitch Moment(um)
- Rosa Menkman

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Circuit-Bending and DIY Culture

- Alexandre Martino Fernandez, Fernando Iazzetta

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An ethnography of circuit-bending

- Andy Kishel

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Semiotics of Glitch Artistic Practice
- Griffin Byron

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Circuit-Bending: A Micro History
- Jason Hodgson

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Circuit-Bending: Build Your Own Alien Instruments
- Reed Ghazala

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Zombie Media: Circuit Bending Media Archaeology into an Art Method
- Garnet Hertz, Jussi Parikka

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Reed Ghazala (Father of Circuit Bending)

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(blue notes are directions in dissertation)

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(blue notes are directions in dissertation)

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Feel-good factor from repurposing old items

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AllMyFriendsAreSynths

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Andrei Jay
(in correspondance)

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Look Mum No Computer

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Unique

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Glitch art

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Video mixer/synth creation

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Musical instrument creation

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Potential for live art

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Free Tutorials Online

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Constantly evolving

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Bringing new life into old

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Making use of old electronics that would otherwise end up in landfill

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Sharing

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Self-practice based

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Appeals to natural curiousity

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Exploration

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Organic way of creation

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IRL community potential

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Moving away from structured circuit making

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Social relevance

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Chance-based creation

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Reusing and repurposing of consumer electronics