Dymaxion by Frazer Merrick

Dymaxion is an EP of electromagnetic soundscapes and krautrock energy. Essex based sound artist Frazer Merrick has woven together electromagnetic field recordings with lyrical synthesisers melodies. The EP is peppered with Frazer’s handmade electronic instruments and microphones, featuring rhythms from arcade signs (Tensegrity) and melodies from Hot Tub lights (Tetrascroll) recorded using his Photon Smasher microphone, a mic which uses a solar cell to listen to light. The EP also features his light-powered synth PULSAR, a synth which uses LEDs as oscillators - as heard on Spaceship Earth, Dominion and Tensegrity.

In 2021 Frazer was named one of Sound and Music’s New Voices. Over the course of 18 months he developed the Photon Smasher microphone and formed his ensemble with Ben Hunt on Drums and Samuel Hollis on Bass - both of whom feature throughout the EP. After a packed out show at Colchester Arts Centre, Merrick built upon this success with a residency at Snape Maltings in 2022, where the resulting tracks formed the basis of this EP.

“I wanted to convey a sense of energy, of movement and motion” says Frazer. Inspired by the work of American Architect Buckminster Fuller, the EPs title Dymaxion is a portmanteau of Dynamic, Maximum and Tension - maximum gain from minimum energy. “This way of thinking gave me the creative boundaries I needed, to do more with less”.

I use field recordings, circuit bending and synthesis to create sonic experiences which explore the act of play. Using lo-fi tech I transform spaces or objects, encouraging the audience to become a curious performer and embrace play through interactivity, improvisation and collaboration.

frazermerrick.com
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