The new Synth Circle offers synthesizer players and curious key-pushers a chance to gather for noise and knob-twisting on the last Friday of every month.
Various synthesizers are set up, and guests are able to explore the instrument, interact with others—and jam.
After starting a Synth Circle event at The Artlands Collective’s gallery in downtown Redlands, Artlands executive director Daniel Gohman, in collaboration with the hosting duo of Brian Perez and Commodore Ruiz, decided to bring the series to the desert. The next two Synth Circles will take place at 2:30 p.m., Friday, June 26 and July 31, at The Place neighborhood marketplace in Indio.
During a recent Zoom interview, the trio expressed their excitement about hosting the Synth Circle series in Indio.
“We wanted to reach out to the community in the desert about what we were doing out here in Redlands,” Perez said. “It’s kind of like an electronic drum circle deal, and then as that grew, Indio was interested.”
The first Synth Circle in Indio exceeded the team’s expectations.
“The first event that we did over at The Place was kind of big,” Ruiz said. “It was bigger than we usually get (in Redlands). We do Synth Circle here (at the Artlands gallery) on second Thursdays in Redlands, and it’s usually more chill. We’re just hanging out with a couple of friends who usually come by—but there were 30 to 40 people (in Indio).”
Added Perez: “We were pretty surprised. It was just a test run to see how things would go, and it went really well.”
Music and community combine at Synth Circle.
“Basically, we’re trying to find a community out there that’s interested in electronic music and synthesizers,” Perez said. “There’s the social thing, but the goal is to make music together.”
This new series is the latest in a growing number of pop-up events and collaborations in the Coachella Valley involving Artland.
“Ciara Taylor, who’s kind of our project lead in the Coachella Valley, and lives out there, she set up the connection with The Place and also with Las Palmas Brewing, where we do a Community Craft event,” Gohman said. “… We’re trying to set up more creative events around the desert, and this was an opportunity to expand what we’re doing.”
The Place proved to be a perfect location thanks to their Teenage Engineering booth. (Teenage Engineering is a synthesizer manufacturer.)
“One of the reasons why it’s a good fit was because they were there,” Gohman said. “The Place was like, ‘We have this synth vendor, so we’d love to take this event and then use some of their gear within the event.’”
At the Synth Circle, attendees can experiment with available synths, or bring their own instrument and join in the jam.
“Usually, (organizers) set up a table with gear, and it’s open to anybody to use, but then there’s extra table space for people to just come and set their own,” Gohman said. “They just keep joining in throughout the event, and it gets bigger as the event goes on.”
While the hosts encourage open-ended musical creation, hosts Perez and Ruiz have been testing out guided exercises, such as “only play the black keys.”
“It’s literally to get people out of the house, too. … It gives a reason to take your synth away from your home to go and express musically with others.”
Synth Circle co-host commodore ruiz
“We have been trying to do more structure,” Ruiz said. “We’ll do some warm-ups with people so they can just understand what the instruments are in front of them. We were talking about maybe getting more musicians involved in this community, so we can actually build a whole jam.”
Added Perez: “We’re learning more about what we can improve. We’re learning how to instruct, and say, ‘OK, we’ll go with what he’s doing or what she’s doing,’ and we’ll build on that. For now, it’s kind of just an experimentation.”
During a tough time for music-centered businesses in downtown Indio, the organizers home Synth Circle at The Place can help fill a need.
“We just want more connection with other communities,” Perez said. “I’m learning more about what’s out in the desert, and there’s so much to offer out there. I think that’s pretty cool. I didn’t know there was a huge synth community out there.”
Added Ruiz: “It’s literally to get people out of the house, too. … It gives a reason to take your synth away from your home to go and express musically with others.”
Places where people can perform are few and far between. Places where people can meet and create music together, without the pressure of a performance, are nearly nonexistent.
“I feel like there’s a big community, but there are not many other places where people are meeting,” Gohman said.
Whether you’re a synth star or a newbie wanting to learn more about the intricate instrument, you’re welcome at Synth Circle.
“There are no expectations here,” Perez said. “We’re just having fun with the goal of trying to create something that goes together. It could be chaotic at times—but that’s kind of fun, too.”
Synth Circle takes place at 2:30 p.m., on the last Friday of every month, at The Place, at 45145 Oasis St., in Indio. The event is free. For more information, visit www.instagram.com/artlandscv.
