Tag: Circuit3 (Page 1 of 4)

Photo by Jackie Hudson-Lalor

Having built a solid reputation for hook-laden synthpop crafted with an enviable collection of vintage hardware, Dublin-based electronic auteur Peter Fitzpatrick takes a sharp, contemplative turn from the expected path with his analogue vehicle CIRCUIT3.

Leaving behind the traditional song structures that defined earlier works, his latest CIRCUIT3 long player ‘Metanoia’ plunges into a world of spacious, subtly emotive instrumentals that let the synthesizers frame the narrative. The catalyst for this stylistic shift emerged from a post-gig conversation over drinks with Mat Smith of the Mortality Tables imprint. As the dialogue drifted into deep-seated themes of personal trauma, therapeutic breakthroughs and the lingering shadow of emotional repression, a creative seed was planted.

Notebook fragments and raw reflections soon evolved into a series of delicate laboratory experiments. The resulting album operates as a candid sonic diary documenting the gruelling yet ultimately cathartic arc of modern psychotherapy. Fitzpatrick relies on carefully sculpted timbres and warm textures to convey what words often fail to capture.

‘Metanoia’ charts a distinct emotional topography. The shadowy, suffocating soundscapes of ‘Burnout’ and the fractured, abstract geometry of ‘Mood’ give way to the serene contemplation of ‘Where Are We Going?’. Meanwhile, the Vince Clarke collaboration ‘The Hope’ injects a welcome flash of classic melodic optimism into the mix. It makes for an engrossing electronic journey best experienced with headphones to fully appreciate its therapeutic intent.

ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK caught up with Peter Fitzpatrick to discuss the emotional and creative mechanics behind his “Music From Therapy”…

Photo by Paul Maxwell

Your first three albums have been song based, so what set you off on the ambient instrumental route for ‘Metanoia’?

I had been listening to a lot of purely electronic music, everything from Berlin School artists such as TANGERINE DREAM through to recent works such as Vince Clarke’s ‘Songs of Silence’, alongside many others. It started during the pandemic and developed from there. I had not planned to produce an instrumental album at all. When I was unwell, I leaned into using my instruments for pure audio pleasure and started recording what I created. Originally, the recordings were just for me, with no thought of releasing them.

My previous album ‘Technology for the Youth’ included short instrumental pieces which I enjoyed creating; I was positively pre-disposed to trying more. It’s less weight to carry because you’re not thinking about lyrics or vocals. Stepping away from song structure has been liberating and interesting. I have some beautiful synths capable of making beautiful noises. Instead of writing songs, I had fun with my instruments and remembered to hit record on everything as I experimented. I found myself getting deeper into long-form pieces, which was a departure for me.

Had you tired of synthpop or was it a question of ‘Burnout’ as one of the track titles on ‘Metanoia’ suggests?

No, I have not tired of synthpop. The very idea! I’ve got an album of songs sitting there but I think you’re closer to the mark with your note about burnout.

In early 2023, I experienced burnout; it was terrifying and exhausting. I really thought I was losing my mind. There’s never a good time to be ill, but the timing was particularly unfortunate because I had plans to continue promoting ‘Technology for the Youth’. My brain and body had other ideas. After months of doing very little, I eventually felt able to go back into the studio and play. The only aim was to switch on the instruments and enjoy them for a few minutes, reconnecting with something that brought me joy.

When I met Mat Smith from Mortality Tables in late 2023, he asked if I’d like to contribute a track to a project; that was the genesis of the album. I owe Mat much gratitude for this.

Photo by Jackie Hudson-Lalor

Aside from the more personal therapy motivations, were there any particular ambient works you had enjoyed before that acted as inspiration?

I use the term ambient in a very broad sense. If I was to try describing what I enjoy, it’s “melodic drone”. Is that even a real genre? I always struggle with genres and labels.

The music I was listening to included artists like Aphex Twin and Augustus Muller, who you’ll know from BOY HARSHER. A friend recommended ASHRA’s album ‘Blackouts’, and I also listened to Peter Baumann, TANGERINE DREAM and Chris & Cosey. During my recuperation, I read a couple of Cosey’s books. She’s a fascinating author. I revisited her work with Chris and, of course, THROBBING GRISTLE. I also revisited albums by Lisa Bella Donna, LOGIC SYSTEM and MARTIAL CANTEREL whom your readers will know from XENO & OAKLANDER.

Among the albums I discovered was ‘Drokk: Music Inspired by Mega-City One’, the soundtrack album by Geoff Barrow and Ben Salisbury. I really enjoyed it because it brought the old 2000 AD comics back to life for me. I also fell down the BOARDS OF CANADA rabbit hole. Another artist I only got around to in recent years is Brian Eno. I still think of Eno as part of ROXY MUSIC, and I’m listening my way through his 1970s albums. This is all good: I want to live in a world where there are more “new-to-me” albums. Isn’t it great to know there’s more out there?

When listening to all these artists, I was thinking about their processes and methods and asking myself, “How do you do this?”

The initial sonic clusters of ‘Cracked Eyes’ recall ‘Neroli’ by Brian Eno or is that pure coincidence?

It’s a nice coincidence. I had not listened to that album until a few weeks ago and yes, I hear what you’re hearing. Those sonic clusters are simple sine waves with lush reverb treatment.

‘Cracked Eyes’ is important for a couple of reasons. Firstly, it was recorded live except for one short overdub. I was using a new module, the Befaco Oneiroi, which is designed for creating instant drone-style soundscapes. I modulated the oscillator while playing an evolving melodic sequence into it, full of unequal measures and unusual key modulations. I also sampled myself reciting poetry into the Oneiroi.

Second, that poetry comes from the late Pat Ingoldsby, an Irish poet and writer. Last year I attended the book launch for a posthumous collection of his work. His poem ‘Beautiful Cracked Eyes’ jumped out at me because it related to something I had discussed during therapy. The “keeper of Pat’s poems”, and yes, that is her title, Vivienne Bailey, very kindly gave permission for me to use the poem.

What was the compositional process overall for ‘Metanoia’ and how challenging was it to eschew your songwriter instincts?

I had to develop new processes. This remains exciting because it’s so new to me and I’m getting to use all of the hours of study and listening I’ve put in over decades. I studied music at university and while I don’t fly as high as my university contemporaries such as Michael McGlynn from ANUNA, I haven’t forgotten the fundamentals.

Typically, I would set up a couple of synthesizers and begin to experiment. I’d go into the composition with a theme in mind. The album germinated from the notes I shared with Mat, which gave me plenty of jumping-off points and a clear idea of what I wanted each piece to convey. Relaxing the songwriter muscle was not too difficult because I was quite intentional about writing pieces like this.

My energy levels took a good year to rebuild. Not having to consider lyrics and song structure was a welcome respite. My songwriter instincts have carried over in one important way, though: I’m still mindful of the listener. As far as possible, I’ve tried to shape the pieces so that they remain interesting, whether through their harmonic structures or the sounds themselves. It’s important to me that listeners will want to play this album more than once.

You liven proceedings with some sequencer patterns alongside the drones on ‘Imperfect’, some of it reminds me of Richard Barbieri’s more recent solo work?

Richard Barbieri is great: I love his work. It’s interesting that you should mention the similarity. There’s a sound on ‘Imperfect’, made with the Minimoog Model D, that is not dissimilar to one of the sounds he uses on ‘Traveller’ from his album ‘Hauntings’. It has that unmistakable sound of an overdriven Moog filter.

Even with drone or minimal ambient music, I want some melody, whether that is an ostinato or a Berlin School-style repeated pattern built around an odd time signature. I can’t bring myself to leave the listener behind intentionally with hour-long metal-machine drones.

So ‘Where Are We Going?’

Always going forward. Somewhere better. We have to nurture hope. If we allow hope to die then they have won. We can’t let them win.

Photo by Peter Fitzpatrick

Were you tempted into any modular experimentation for this album or did you feel it was more comforting to stick to your tried and trusted instruments?

A significant change in my music-making followed the integration of semi-modular and fully modular synths into my palette. As I gained confidence using those instruments, I learned to experiment more. Specifically, I started with the Roland System 500 modules. They’re a now-discontinued set of Eurorack-format modules modelled on the System 100M and System 700 series from many years ago.

I have sought out specific modules for particular functions, for example the Befaco Oneiroi and 1010music Bitbox. I’ve avoided buying lots of random modules, something I was somewhat guilty of doing with synths and drum machines in the past. My modular needs are specific but limited.

Toward the end of creating this album, I had the opportunity to acquire some Roland System 100M modules, last manufactured around 1983–84. For those who don’t know, these modules were used on many classic albums and by artists we all admire. Your readers will know the sound. They aren’t in the smaller Eurorack format, but in a larger proprietary format, housed in metal boxes that fit into a dedicated case. I was drawn to them because of the sounds they create, having heard what people like Alan Wilder, Vince Clarke and Martin Rushent have done with them. I expect them to get a lot of use when I return to song-based recording.

‘What If Everything Goes Right?’ might be considered to be the most conventional in its structure as an instrumental on this album, how did this come together?

Coincidentally it was the first track I created for this project and was the last track to be finished. I was exploring Berlin school type sequencing and wanted to work on the track with the ARP 2600 so that I could become more familiar with it. The repeating patterns come from the 2600. The additional sounds are from the Sequential Prophet 10 and Oberheim OB-X8.

The track almost didn’t make the cut. I felt it was incomplete; it needed something. I played it alongside an old film to see whether that gave me inspiration. The soundtrack idea had me thinking about choral sounds, and I remembered that I had a very nice choir library sitting on one of my samplers. I think that’s the only use of digital technology on the album.

How did Vince Clarke come to work with you on ‘The Hope’?

It’s an amusing story and a lesson in the power of positivity. I call it my “synth blind date”.

Every few weeks I’d send Mat new works in progress as the album developed. Then he messaged me to ask if I’d be interested in collaborating with another artist. I said yes. It’s important to understand that collaboration doesn’t always work, not because anybody is unwilling or unable, but because the planets have to align if you want to catch lightning in a bottle. I thought nothing more of it. A few weeks later, the morning after KITE’s 2024 London show, Mat forwarded a screenshot of a message that said, roughly, “Yes, I’m happy to work with Peter. Have him email me and tell me what he’d like me to do on the track”. Before I could reply, Mat sent another message: “Oh, that’s from Vince, by the way.”

I had to do a double take. Whenever I’m asked about influences and people I’d like to work with Vince has always been top of the list. We had exchanged emails in the past. You might expect the chance to collaborate with somebody I admire to create a lot of pressure, but it was the exact opposite. I knew what I wanted Vince to do, and I knew how it was going to work.

Exploring my desire to dabble in the visual arts, I’ve produced a gorgeous video with help from my friend, the artist Jackie Hudson Lalor. I’m really proud of both the track and its accompanying video. For a “synth blind date”, it worked out well even if I may say so myself.

Some would say Vince Clarke’s contribution to ‘The Hope’ is very audible…

Some would say that and some would be correct.

I had already created a track using the Moog Matriarch, a melodic drone with no set tempo. I used the synthesizer’s two envelopes to drive it: when one envelope finished, its end point triggered the other, creating an infinite drone loop.

The brief for Vince was straightforward. I’d painted a picture of hope and hopelessness, and I wanted him to bring some hope into the listening experience. Even when things feel hopeless, hope is still there somewhere. I asked him to let it ebb and flow against the darkness of the drone until it eventually revealed itself.

He sent me some ideas a couple of weeks later. Sometimes it’s best not to overengineer or overthink these things. I was able to use those ideas to complete the track. Let’s not forget that Vince has created some of the most memorable melodies of our generation. I knew the brief would play to his strengths, but he did more than provide a melody. He introduced an arpeggio into a track with no obvious tempo, which was an interesting response. He painstakingly built a tempo map to drive a very simple but effective repeating synth pattern. The Tierce de Picardie resolution at the end is entirely Vince’s, and it’s something I would probably have shied away from for one silly reason or another.

Do you and Vince do much synth talk or was this a remote collaboration in the truest sense?

We exchanged emails and Logic Pro sessions trading them between our studios in Dublin and New York, where Vince was living at the time. We did chat a little about synths but only to the point where I wanted to understand what he had used and I shared a little bit of what I used. I suspect Vince just doesn’t want to talk synthesizers so I didn’t distract from the job-in-hand. I didn’t want to be that guy. I don’t think he dreams of wires all day long.

Which tracks on ‘Metanoia’ give you the most satisfaction?

That’s a tough question. I think the entire album gives me real satisfaction because I realised my vision. Forced to choose, I think ‘The Hope’ because it represents a successful collaboration and of course personal achievement.

Two tracks stand out for me. ‘Where Are We Going’ reminded me how much I enjoy playing piano, and it came together in two takes one Saturday afternoon. ‘Shielding From The Past’ is satisfying because of the sounds used, and I’m pleased that I was able to create a track that sustains interest for more than six minutes without needing lyrics.

Photo by John Keenan

Is there a way of listening to ‘Metanoia’ that you would recommend for best results?

I ask the listener to switch off the outside world, sit comfortably and give themselves the time to listen to this as a work. ‘Metanoia’ was mixed, sequenced and mastered with that in mind. So much of what is released these days is disposable and fragmented. I don’t want this album to be wallpaper; I want it to be a listening experience. The concise running time is intentional.

Everything about this album is intentional. Whether that is the sound, the harmonic structure, the sequencing of the tracks or the artwork; I’d love to think people will listen with intent.

So will there be more ambient instrumental albums or will you return to songs? What is next for you?

There definitely will. I’m looking forward to further experimentation. I continued creating new pieces in my studio until I had to focus on promoting ‘Metanoia’. I have at least one unfinished song-based album, and I want to make many more. I feel fortunate to have the ability, the tools and a very receptive audience, all of which allow me to do this.

I’m preparing to perform ‘Metanoia’ live here in Dublin mid-September 2026 with the possibility of a London date on the horizon. I’m keen to further explore visual art to accompany my music such as the video we have created for ‘The Hope’.

ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK gives its warmest thanks to Peter Fitzpatrick

‘Metanoia – Music From Therapy’ is released by Mortality Tables and available as a CD and vinyl LP from https://circuit3.bandcamp.com/ or download from https://mortalitytables.bandcamp.com/

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Text and Interview by Chi Ming Lai
9th September 2026