From the artistic estate of composer Thomas Kessler, who passed away in April 2024, the Studio for Electroacoustic Music received a historic Fairlight CMI II.
The Fairlight CMI (Computer Musical Instrument) is regarded as the first digital synthesiser to feature sampling technology. Developed by Australians Peter Vogel and Kim Ryrie in the late 1970s, the device represented a decisive advancement in the field of digital sound processing and was used by renowned artists such as Peter Gabriel, Stevie Wonder and Kate Bush.
Thomas Kessler was one of the pioneers in the use of this new technology in the field of electronic music and explored the Fairlight CMI in depth in his ‘Control’ series of works. ‘Flute Control’ (1989) was composed entirely using the synthesiser. In the piece, the electronic parameters for sound processing are controlled by the flutist’s embouchure and playing technique.
Thomas Kessler’s Fairlight CMI II is now housed in the Studio for Electroacoustic Music and is available for use and exploration by the artists working there.
