Jessica Rylan

Jessica Rylan (born 1974)[1] is a sound artist, electronic musician and engineer from Boston, Massachusetts. Most of Rylan's work is based on the design and construction of DIY modular synthesizers, which she then uses to create a variety of sounds combined with her own vocal performance. Her work has been described as "a set of weird hybrids - noise pop, folk noise",[2] and "sometimes rough, sometimes playful, sometimes confessional."[3] She describes herself as an "artist turned engineer,"[4] and has cited Merzbow as an influence upon her own work.[5]

Childhood and education

Rylan grew up in Boston, Massachusetts and was based in Boston for the beginning of her career. She has played music for most of her life and began with classical training. Ryan also sang, read music, and played musical instruments in her early years. Her grandfather was an electrical engineer and was her first influence in the area of electronics. He taught her about electronics and helped her first build machines. The magazine Popular Electronics was also an inspiration to Rylan when she was growing up.[6]

Rylan received a Master of Fine Arts in electronic music from Bard College in 2003. She was a research affiliate at MIT’s Center for Advanced Visual Studies from 2006 to 2010. Rylan received a Bachelor of Science in electrical engineering from University of Massachusetts Lowell in 2010. She has received grants from Penny McCall Foundation and the LEF Foundation and is currently a PhD candidate in Electrical Engineering at Stanford University.[7]

Career

Rylan is a solo artist, working as the noise band Can't,[8] or under her own name.[9] She has performed across the United States and toured in Europe, Russia, and Norway. Rylan's work has been released as a limited series on her own IRFP label,[10] as well as recordings on Important Records (USA),[11] Musica Excentrica (Russia),[12] and Drop Of Blood Records (Netherlands),[13] among others.

On 14 November 2007, Rylan gave an artist's talk at MIT's Centre For Advanced Visual Studies, discussing the development of her work, her influences and her work with Don Buchla.[6]

Rylan is one of the artists featured in Totally Wired,[14] a documentary about Andreas Schneider's infamous boutique electronic musical instrument shop called SchneidersBuero, in Berlin.[15]

In January 2012, Rylan performed as part of Stanford University's KZSU 90.1FM's 24-hour 'Day Of Noise' experimental music broadcast.[16]

Rylan has performed with various artists, including John Wiese,[9] Thurston Moore and Wolf Eyes.[11]

YearEvent
2002A sound installation Thesis at Baird College Research at Berwick Research Institute
2003Touring
2003Writing for a magazine
2003Receiving a grant for a research project with LEF Foundation
2003Boom Box show at the Boston Center for Arts
2003TV performance with Greater Boston Arts, WGBH TV
2004Project:AIR at Smith College
2004sound installation at MIT’s List Gallery for Visual Arts
2004RRRecords final performance of Can’t songs
2005Sound installation Mills Gallery, Boston
2005Book- bri:air vol 1 (research book)

Business

Rylan started a business, Flower Electronics,[17] in 2006 where she produces editions of her instruments for purchase. These include: Little Boy Blue, Personal Synth, Natural Synth, Battery Powered Noise Generator, Modular Synthesizer, Controller, White Face, Blue Box, Arvin Radio, Bogen Intercom, Intermodulator #1.[18]

Rylan discusses the process behind (and details the schematics for) her DIY Personal Synthesizer (2004) build in an article for the Vague Terrain journal.[19]

References
  1. Rodgers, Tara (2010). Pink Noises: Women on Electronic Music and Sound. Durham, NC: Duke University. ISBN 978-0822394150.
  2. Fisher, Mark (July 2007). "Jessica Rylan - Interior Designs" (281). The Wire - Soundcheck. Retrieved 11 June 2014.
  3. Cummings, Raymond (Summer 2007). "Jessica Rylan: Boston's Sound Manipulator Focuses On Fluctuating Textures" (46). Signal To Noise Magazine. Retrieved 11 June 2014.
  4. Savin, Irina (28 September 2011). "Jessica Rylan: crazy electronics". steim.org. STEIM. Archived from the original on 14 July 2014. Retrieved 11 June 2014.
  5. Roe, Nat. "Blown Out Easy Listening Mp3s From Jessica Rylan's Can't". blog.wmfu.org. WMFU. Retrieved 11 June 2014.
  6. "Jessica Rylan: Artist's Talk". video.mit.edu. MIT Centre for Advanced Visual Studies. Retrieved 11 June 2014.
  7. "Jessica Rylan Piper: Biography". vagueterrain.net. Vague Terrain. Archived from the original on 7 November 2011. Retrieved 11 June 2014.
  8. Discogs. "Can't - Discography". Discogs.com. Retrieved 11 June 2014.
  9. Discogs. "Jessica Rylan - Discography". Discogs.com. Retrieved 11 June 2014.
  10. Rylan, Jessica. "IRFP.net Releases - Numbered Series Of Objects". irfp.net. Retrieved 11 June 2014.
  11. "Jessica Rylan - Interior Designs(2011)". importantrecords.com. Retrieved 11 June 2014.
  12. "Musica Excentrica - Discogs". Discogs.com. Retrieved 11 June 2014.
  13. "Drop Of Blood Records - Discogs". deplayer.nl. Retrieved 11 June 2014.
  14. Snag Films. "Totally Wired Trailer". youtube.com. Retrieved 11 June 2014.
  15. Snag Films. "Totally Wired". snagfilms.com. Snag Films. Retrieved 11 June 2014.
  16. The Wire. "Day Of Noise: Stanford University's 24 hour live music broadcast". thewire.co.uk. Retrieved 11 June 2014.
  17. Rylan, Jessica. "All About Us". flowerelectronics.com. Retrieved 11 June 2014.
  18. Siegel, Ed (20 April 2001). "AUSPICIOUS DEBUT FOR MARKET THEATER SERIOUS FUN TAKES CENTER STAGE WITH PAIR OF ADVENTUROUS ONE-ACTS". The Boston Globe. Archived from the original on 14 July 2014. Retrieved 11 June 2014.
  19. Rylan, Jessica (22 April 2011). "Personal Synthesizer". Vague Terrain (19). Archived from the original on 23 May 2014. Retrieved 11 June 2014.
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