Australian musician Gotye’s international hit, Somebody That I Used to Know, was a hit in 2011. Its success allowed its creator, Wally De Backer, to feed his passion for early electronic musical instruments including the theremin, the ondes martenot, and the ondioline — instruments which are considered forerunners to the synthesiser. Around the same time as his song was topping music charts around the world, electronic musicians Byron Scullin and Robin Fox came up with an idea for a unique musical archive.
Now this project has become reality as the Melbourne Electronic Sound Studio (MESS). It includes synthesisers, drum machines and many oddities from manufacturers including ARP, EMS, Korg, Moog and Roland.
MESS’s work is divided across four areas we call Studio, School, Show and Schematic. Each area is focused on an aspect of electronic sound from creation to documentation. We are sustained by our community through memberships, public funds and private support. As a not-for-profit organisation, all proceeds generated by our activities go towards building MESS into the premier centre for electronic sound and music in Australia.
On the Mess website you’ll find a list of current items in the studio: the list with vintage and rare items, as well as recent equipment, is huge and impressive. Yes there is a Buchla system, a Yamaha CS-80 and … you name it, but ever heard of the Moffenzeef modular or the Hansie 1010.
The MESS website can be found here.
The studio in Melbourne is open to anyone to come and explore and play with the collection. More info: Melbourne Electronic Sound Studio Limited, 15 Dowling Place, North Melbourne, VIC 3051, AUSTRALIA
+61 3 9329 7177