Roth Mobot's "recursive jazz" controls the random juxtaposition of improvised slow dark ambient drones, languid melodies, randomly generated rhythms, percussive accidents, the humorous and sometimes poignant language of toys, and common discarded electronic audio and video devices. They never play the same piece twice, only rehearse in front of a live audience, and always bring new devices "hot off the workbench" to every gig.

Tommy has been at the center of the Circuit Bending movement for over a decade. Along with frequent custom commissions, he has designed and created devices for members of noted musical groups as the Animal Collective, Umphrey's McGee, the Benevento Russo Duo, Grace Potter and the Nocturnals, and Phish. His specialties include speed bending, mercury switches, and rehousing devices in trash-picked containers.

Patrick McCarthy has been conducting Circuit Bending workshops in various Galleries, Schools, and Corporate Seminars since the year 1999. Tommy and Patrick have been performing musical duets on their own Circuit Bent devices and homemade electronics at galleries, theaters, festivals, bars, social events, clubs, and on the radio for the past five years.

They were featured at TimeOut Chicago Magazine's Inaugural Ball at Union Station, the PACedge Festival at the Athenaeum Theatre, Sketchbook 7 at the Steppenwolf Garage Theatre, the Chicago Dramatists, BENT Fest, and Chicago's "Looptopia"

Patrick has conducted his workshops and lectures at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago's Museum of Contemporary Art, DePaul University, The University of Illinois Urbana Champaign, Columbia College, The Association for Computing Machinery, Lake Forest Academy, and Accenture Technologies. He was recently invited to conduct a seven week course in the subject at the Oak Park Art League, in Oak Park.

Patrick is the Director of the Chicago-based community arts organization, The Rubber Monkey Puppet Company, curates the Midwest's "Deus Ex Machina" Contraptionism festivals, and teaches the Circuit Bending workshops at the Old Town School of Folk Music in Chicago.

Tommy and Patrick's Circuit Bent duo, Roth Mobot, were recently hired as "Circuit Bending" consultants for Collaboraction's highly acclaimed "The Intelligent Design of Jenny Chow" in Chicago, and occasionally performed as the show's opening act on Saturday nights.

Tommy and Patrick were the founders of the The Guild Of Acquired Technology (aka The G.O.A.T.) in Chicago, and were responsible for booking Guild lectures, demonstrations, and performances that stressed the recycling of discarded electronics and e-waste ecological responsibility.

Their work has been written up in The Chicago Reader, The Chicago Tribune, TimeOut Chicago, Pioneer Press, The Daily Candy, FlavorPill, and numerous blogs. They have been the subjects of six documentaries.

Tommy and Patrick make themselves available for any correspondence and questions regarding Circuit Bending and electronics. They may be reached at the email address at the top of this page.

Thank you.

Driving Toy

Magic Lantern

Fire Engine

Barney

Muck the Truck

Pocket Merlin

Tomorrow Never Knows - Circuit Bent Sampler Circuit
with Clock Injection Subcircuit

• Part I (excerpt 1)
• Part I (excerpt 2)
• Part I (excerpt 3)
• Part I (excerpt 4)
• Part I (excerpt 5)
• Part I (excerpt 6)
• Part I (excerpt 7)
• Part I (excerpt 8)
• Part I (excerpt 9)

• Interview (excerpt 1)
• Interview (excerpt 2)
• Interview (excerpt 3)
• Interview (excerpt 4)
• Interview (excerpt 5)
• Interview (excerpt 6)