Nathan Plante
Synthesizers | Klangkunst | Trumpet
Despite many years of playing contemporary music and working extensively with living composers, it never occurred to me to write my own music. I wasn’t even sure what „my“ music would sound like. Even improvisation was something I shied away from – I was perfectly happy interpreting the music of others.
That all changed for me in 2023 when I discovered modular synthesizers. I was looking for a way to expand my musical practice into the digital world, so I took a course on modular synths hoping to learn how to design my own electronic sounds. I became fascinated by synthesis and began intensely exploring the world of modular synthesizers, first digitally then in hardware.
Suddenly I found myself making music – my own music – for the first time in my life. Something about the workflow of modular spoke to me. As soon as power is flowing through the modules, the oscillators start humming to me, forcing me to shape their sound in real time. Instead of sitting in front a blank sheet of manuscript paper wondering which note to write next, I’m working with an instrument which is offering its own solutions to the question of “what next”.
Music
Electric Birds (2024)
Natural phenomena are the main inspirations for this electro-acoustic journey. From ripples on the surface of a lake to dramatic storm clouds and electric pulses, each track is an exploration of experimental sounds and structures. I focused on a minimal hardware setup using only two oscillator modules, filters and simple effects. Original acoustic samples (including trumpet) compliment the electronic sounds to create three distinct dark ambient soundscapes. Enjoy the journey!
"If you're looking for a deep and unique sonic exploration, Electric Birds is an incredible discovery." -Edgar Allan Poets
"Nathan Plante’s Electric Birds puts on a clinic in experimental electronic atmospheric immersion." -Obscure Sound
"Plante continues to push boundaries, experimenting with unconventional sound sources and blending them into cohesive, engaging pieces." -Electronica.org.uk
Peaks and Promontories (2024)
‘Propagations: And You, Oh Trees So Lofty’ consists of four reworks of a track from the experimental ambient artist ecotonal. Ecotonal gave different artists all material of the original track and complete artistic freedom to rework the material into something new. The 4 reworks on this EP show how an original idea can propagate from one generation to another while retaining its characteristics.
All proceeds from the album will go to Trees for Lurë, a non-governmental, non-profit organization with a mission to help with reforestation of the most damaged areas of the Lurë-Dejës National Park in Albania.
The Modern Trumpet
Over the last 20 years I've worked with countless composers to help bring their music to life. Contemporary and experimental music has always been a large part of my career.
In 2020 I started "The Modern Trumpet", a blog dedicated to educating composers. I blog about the trumpet's unique capabilities (and limitations) with a focus on contemporary trumpet technique.
Learn more at The Modern Trumpet.