Studio Science: Lorenzo Senni
The Italian veteran gives a tour of the Roland synthesizer that shaped the sound of trance
Lorenzo Senni is as likely to be found exhibiting at the Centre Pompidou in Paris as he is to be performing in renowned clubs like Berlin’s Berghain. Investigating sonic structures via diverse recording techniques, his works range from radical computer music to field recordings and sound art. He coined the term “Pointillistic Trance” to describe the stripped-down build-ups and arpeggiations on his 2012 LP Quantum Jelly for Editions Mego, while 2014’s Superimposition was another visceral subversion of the genre. He is also one-third of techno crew One Circle and the founder of experimental label Presto!?, which has released Detroit’s DJ Stingray and Florian Hecker among others. In late 2016, Senni put out Persona, his first release as a member of the iconic Warp Records roster.
In this Studio Science, filmed at the Red Bull Music Academy Bass Camp Rome 2017, the Italian artist gives a detailed tour of the often overlooked Roland JP-8080 synthesizer. Released in the 1990s, the JP-8080 introduced the Supersaw oscillator, which would become the defining sound of trance. And while Senni only discovered the synth in the late 2000s, he has since made it his machine of choice, with plentiful knowledge to share from his time spent excavating the machine’s possibilities.
