The genesis of Mafficks isn't a singular event, but rather a gradual accretion of influences – a digital archaeology of discarded ideas and resonant frequencies. It began with a fascination for analogue synthesis, particularly the unsettling beauty of noise generators and the unpredictable behavior of vintage tape machines. This initial exploration bled into an obsession with data corruption, the inherent fragility of information, and the seductive allure of lost signals.
At its heart, Mafficks is about creating immersive soundscapes that evoke a sense of unease, nostalgia, and perhaps even a touch of melancholic wonder. It’s less about crafting polished musical pieces and more about sculpting environments – spaces where the listener can get intentionally lost within layers of texture and subtle shifts.
The name itself, "Mafficks," is deliberately ambiguous. It's a fabricated word, designed to feel both familiar and alien – like a half-remembered dream or a fragment of forgotten language. It serves as a placeholder for the intangible essence of the work.
Mafficks relies heavily on modular synthesis, both hardware and software. Eurorack modules – specifically those focused on noise generation, granular processing, and spectral manipulation – form the bedrock of many compositions. However, it's not solely reliant on these systems.
Field recordings play a crucial role, often treated with extensive distortion, time-stretching, and layering. These recordings serve as raw material, transformed into something altogether different through meticulous processing.
Software like Max/MSP and Pure Data are used for complex control systems, allowing for real-time manipulation of parameters and the creation of intricate feedback loops. The goal is not to create clean, pristine sounds but to deliberately introduce chaos and unpredictability.
There’s a conscious effort to avoid digital “cleanliness.” Bitcrushing, aliasing, and other forms of intentional distortion are employed liberally, mirroring the imperfections inherent in analogue systems and reflecting a broader interest in exploring the aesthetics of data degradation.
Mafficks often explores themes related to memory, loss, and the distortion of perception. The soundscapes frequently evoke a sense of displacement – a feeling of being in an unfamiliar place that is simultaneously recognizable and unsettling.
There's a recurring interest in the concept of "residual signal" – the faint echoes of past events embedded within environments. This manifests through layered textures, subtle shifts in pitch and timbre, and a deliberate blurring of temporal boundaries.
The work doesn’t offer easy answers or resolutions. Instead, it invites contemplation on the nature of experience, the subjective construction of reality, and the unsettling beauty of decay.