rj valeo was born on earth, in huntington, new york back before the digital age began. he likes to put on a dark blue flak jacket and produce electronic sounds in his underground base of operations. other times he enjoys playing gigs in public places and, when the stars align in the shape of an @, he produces events.

he has been living in the world of the machines since his first data port was installed. rumor has it that he tormented his mother until she took him to get it installed. she didn’t want to go because it was raining and the hover car was acting up but he didn’t care. he needed it. then. on the spot. just like the bionic man.

once installed he never jacked out. he journeyed through the networks of atari and coleco, casio and commodore. he swam through the webs of gibson, herbert, clark and egan. his aural systems picked up transmissions from bauhaus, eno, puppy and ministry. ae consumed bandwidth like a zombie. james was able to hold his own, as were the legions from canada, manchester and the hordes from berlin. when he was not absorbing the transmissions he was culling sounds from the circuitry of the korgs and the rolands, the yamahas and alesis’.

more nuclear submarine captain than music composer, he guides the machines to release their innermost sounds. the music that gets coaxed out of the wire filled boxes and glistening chips is both utterly human, yet completely mechanical. he captures these offerings and arranges and sequences them so he can share them with us. his methodologies were developed over a long period of cycles, during which he had his residencies at the teo and io research stations. this was back when the joap (jupiter outpost artist’s program) actually had money.

his bits and data have been entering ears publicly since the early years of the fossil fuel wars. in a recent conversation he said to us, unprovoked, “there is something very spiritual about the relationship that a human has with it’s technology. it doesn’t matter if it is a stand-up bass (which is a stunningly beautiful analog instrument), a drum machine (a wonderful digital/analog hybrid), or a computer (a totally digital machine), the human really feels connected to it at the very core of his/her being. at first it seems to be an extension of the self. you *think* you are in control of it. when you realize that you aren’t, and that it is the machine that is guiding you it totally changes your perspective on technology. then realize that someone made that thing, just so you coluld do exactly *that* at that moment. wow. you have that epiphany and damn. it really changes absolutely everything.”

the stories of mars by robinson, the quantum universe that egan channeled, and the aural pathways that warp opened are at the core of his waking dreams to this very day.

Labels Released on

Archipel
Moodgadget
Future Days
Type
Neo Ouija
Hobby Industries
io

monikers

rj valeo
isomer transition
transelectronic theory.

Partial Gear & Equipment List

Synths
- Clavia NordLead 2
- Korg Monopoly
- Oberheim Matrix 1000
- Oberheim OB-1
- Yamaha TX81Z

Drum Machines
- Elektron Machinedrum MK-1
- Korg Electribe EB-1
- Oberheim DX

Effects & Processors
- Alesis Midi+Microverb
- Alesis Bitcrusher, Philter & Microgate
- Lexicon Vortex
- Line 6 Delay
- Roland SE-201

Software
- Ableton Live
- Automat
- Bias Peak
- C74 Pluggo
- Five12 Numerology
- Michael Norris Spectral Shapers
- NI Absynth
- Plogue Bidule
- Recycle
- Soundhack

Computers, Audio Interfaces & Controllers
- AMD 64bit DualCore 3.0 ghz Workstation
- Mac Powerbook 1.67ghz G4
- Macmini 1.67ghz DualCore Intel
- U-Audio UAD-1
- Doepfer Drehbank
- EMU 1212M PCI
- M-Audio Trigger Finger
- MOTU 828 MKII
- M-Audio Firewire 410
- Novation Remote SL 37

influences

AElab, Akira Rabelais, Alva Noto, Angelo Badalamenti, Aphex Twin, Autechre, Bill Laswell, Brian Eno, Depeche Mode, Dr. Octagon, Eon, Eric B & Rakim, Erik Satie, Farben, Fennesz, Front 242, The Future Sound of London, Gang Starr, Geoff White, Gescom, Gramm, Harold Budd, Helmet, Hrvatski, Jack Dangers, Jan Janlinek, Joey Beltram, John Cage, Joy Division, Jungle Brothers, Keith Fullerton Whitman, Kim Cascone, King Tubby, Kit Clayton, Kool Keith, Kraftwerk, Kruder & Dorfmeister, Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry, Meat Beat Manifesto, Ministry, Mitchell Akiyama, Monolake, New Order, The Orb, Orbital, Phoenecia, Plastikman, Pole, Polygon Window, Prefuse 73, Public Enemy, Radiohead, Robin Guthrie, Scorn, Shuttle 358, Skinny Puppy, SND, Steve Reich, Sun Electric, Tones On Tail, Ulrich Schnauss, Underworld, Vangelis, and William Basinski