Athan Spathas is an innovator of many mediums. He’s been a musician and a dancer since he was a child. He got his interest in electronics and sensors when he was in the Future Music Oregon program at the University of Oregon for two years. The potential of the technology was amazing to him, but thought it was unreasonably expensive and noticed was a lack of diversity. After learning about Free/Libre/Open (FLO) Source Technology in 2015, he gave up making music on basically all technology that wasn’t FLO: as he wanted to to develop, share, and encourage the use of technology and licensing that allowed music (and music tech) to be free and accessible for everyone. He has been working on FLO Music in his spare time ever since, and has never been paid for his work (only for his performances). His most recent traditional job was teaching robotics to kids aged 5 – 13 for four years for a Portland based non-profit (To Every Kid, Inc). He currently teaches when the opportunities arise and is a CNC operator at the artist space ADX.
He develops and supports Free/Libre/Open (FLO) Source Techology wherever possible; teaching workshops, doing consultation and interface design. He taught himself the Python programming language and developed the Glass Beatstation, a FLO project which is a loopstation, sequencer, and sampler than runs on a portable $35 computer (compared with $500 loopstations that cant be easily battery powered and doesn’t have wireless capability). He has also learned how to operate CNC machinery in order to be able to produce fretboards and other necessary guitar parts. His instagram handle is @alignwaivers
Performances:
Undergraduate Symposium (University of Oregon 2013):
Participant showcasing circuitbent musical devices
Oregon Electronic Device Orchestra (Future Music Oregon Program at University of Oregon, 2013):
Member/musician for three semesters and three concerts
Mini Maker Faire (Science Factory, Eugene, 2013)
Showcase of “Sonic Pendulum,” an interactive digital musical pendulum
Monthly solo feature – (Basil Bar, Portland: February – July 2014)
Host and lone Musician for 6 months
Sommerwerft Festival (Frankfurt, Germany: 2015)
Dancer, actor, and musician in a parade, a theatre performance, and concert (respectively)
Artist in Residence (Outer Space Gallery, Portland: Spring & Summer 2016 )
“Acceleration” – Interactive 3d sound Installation
Interjam Session – Facilitator of this interdisciplinary jam
Inclusive Cypher – Facilitator of collaborative & improvised lyricism
Frankenstein: A Cabaret (A Steep and Thorny Way to Heaven: Portland 2017):
Band Member and Chorus member for this show, part of Fertile Ground Festival
Lenore Rises: An Edgar Allan Poe Macabaret (Clinton St Theater: Portland 2017)
Musician, Poet, Actor, Dancer, and Director of one act in this variety show.
Spectacle Garden (Headwaters Theatre, Portland: 2017)
Three appearances in this monthly variety show as an Actor, Musician, and Dancer.
Smokey Sunday (Ranger Station, Portland, 2019)
Two features as a solo musician, and three features as a supporting musician
Hip Hop Shop (Oasis of Change, Portland: 2019-current)
Co-Host, Conductor and House Musician at this weekly jam/cypher.
Night of Looping (Ranger Station, Portland:
March 1st, 2020):Featured Musician
