Against Augmentation

This article originated from a conversation between John Richards and Tim Shaw. The conversation is a response to the journal’s theme, Augmented Instruments. Instead of focusing on just one instrument, the authors decided to talk more generally about their overall aesthetic and process of making performance-installations. The conversation touches on augmentation, DIY instruments, unpredictability, and offers the reader examples of their own self-made musical devices. The discussion concludes with three emergent themes: Reductionism, Raw Materials, and Fields of Influence. They hope this transcribed conversation provides a useful starting point for readers interested in Richards’ and Shaw’s experimental approach to electronic music and idiosyncratic instrument design.