Make Noise Strega

I thought Tarot was from the West? I don’t know much about Tarot or witch culture.

Cortini is Italian, no? Why wouldn’t he suggest “strega”?

Tarot cards also originated in Italy.

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I STILL don’t understand what the hell it is, lol

That’s what I thought, which was why i was confused by the comment “he’s appropriating Eastern culture”, but when I look at the video he’s got Tarot cards.

Unless somebody considers Italy to be part of the East?

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I like the sounds in the Lightbath vid, but I agree he’s beyond annoying with the alchemist magic act…

Beyond the name which has a specific reference, what does any of the video or “nomenclature” have to do with witchcraft? If anything is another reference, it seems a lot more to do with the witches of Giallo film than anything else.

I can understand concern for the modern “hip” witchdom with regards to products but “spirituality appropriation” seems a bit odd in that spiritualism is quite a malleable hodgepodge of beliefs and followers that blur out.

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I’m so annoyed and disappointed that I ate a bowl of frosted mini wheats, and pre-ordered.

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I feel really tired about all the youtube marketing videos. For me it feels strange that everyone on youtube allready has all that gear and we, the loyal customers have to wait a few months. It feels a bit similar to digial dj promo.

I do understand that especially in the corona pandemic the videos can show you how a maschine works, how it sounds etc. But at the end of the day the question is how it sounds in your hands. I had the experience buying a maschine because I liked the sound I saw and heared in videos. I could do this and that with it in my mind. After getting it, I found out that I personally don´t gel with the maschine. But that´s another hydra story :wink: Maybe we can discuss marketing videos vs. tutorials in another thread.

That saids, hopefully Walker will do a video for the Make Noise yt channel. Because he allways do the grazy shit in a very funny way :slight_smile:

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Agree. Almost feels like people rush to get gear to make a video, “first jam with…[insert gear here]”

It’s not about the music…it’s about the clicks :frowning:

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I agree, a huge waste of time for me are the influencers.

I personally never watch their videos, I tend to focus on the features and technical specifications from the company maker.

I found interesting the video from the designers of a certain synth or machine, I found those add values and help in giving you a rough idea of the capabilities of the machine.

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Alchemy and the use of the four elements. While the name Strega might have come from an innocent place, they doubled down with the use of iconography for connections and the B-roll Blair Witch product video (I love Walker but that video was a bit cringy imo…great sounds though). Again: why not Stregone or Druid or Warlock?

This also gets into the history of persecution of women and misogyny under the guise of “witchcraft” (whatever that even means) that I won’t get into here but “Caliban and the Witch” and “Witchcraze” are great, eye-opening reads.

Spiritualism is open to all people but, as with any cultural practice, is not to be used as shop-window dressing. Just because something has the word “Ace” in it doesn’t automatically make it a synthtubers to use as they want. I don’t see this as any different from an white American using a singing bowl to encourage positive thinking while redirecting them to a link of their YT page featuring videos on mindfullness.

My partner is a tarot reader and educator. Call me biased.

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I wasn’t referring to the Strega video specifically, but I decided to remove my comment as it was pretty mean spirited and it turns out I don’t even know what I’m talking about.

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Definitely the former, i’ll check out the latter. Thanks!

Well, for one, it’s more of an input machine than an output machine (as far as CV and sound) isn’t it? I would understand a synthesizer like this to be much more “female” than “male”. 0-CTRL on the other hand, would be much more “male” than “female”.

Descartes made the comparisons between people and machines long before any of us were born, which is the basis of modern medicine. So it’s not like this type of thinking has no precedent.

But the charges of misogyny and appropriation that you are making here are just preposterous. Make Noise and Cortini made a synth that they are proud of, and gave it a feminine name. You’re acting like they are objectifying women to sell junk, and signifying witches/witchcraft in a negative way.

Taking issue with marketing tactics is one thing. But insisting on male names and non-occult themes simply because you want to make people feel like low-lifes for being into this machine is just pathetic.

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:thinking:

Never did. I was referring to the historic context.

And I have no idea from where you got this

or this

but it has 0 to do with my post.

My intention was in no way meant to make people feel bad about being in to it. My only intention was

And wishing companies and salespeople would be more conscious of their decisions.

I’ve said my piece and I won’t say more. You can DM me if you want. I don’t want this to tar a fine instrument.

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Here comes Walker’s second video

https://youtu.be/G9MDIoaVTco

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I’m sympathetic to arguments of appropriation, especially when they’re cross cultural (Europeans burning sage? Hmm…) but the history of spiritualism in this context is one of near constant and wholesale appropriation.

Whether we look at Blavatsky’s claims to ‘eastern’ wisdom, Levi’s smash-and-grab of Jewish culture and mysticism, the shoehorning of Vedic thought and Egyptian thought into Christian moulds, or the shoddy emergence of modern wiccanism, it’s theft after theft and misrepresentation after misrepresentation. ‘Spirituality’ as we know it is a grab bag of the tastes and fashions of colonialist white Europeans and their diaspora.

Yes, tarot is en vogue with insta and yt content makers, which kinda sucks, but Rider-Waite’s work is a Christian-mystical veneer painted on top of an older European tradition, which itself may be (if Shah is to believed) an appropriation of an Egyptian or Mesopotamian tradition.

So none of this is really ‘ours’ to begin with (if ‘we’ are white), and even if we are talking about appropriation of culture - these folk traditions and Christian mysticisms are ‘our’ history and ‘our’ culture. One might as well criticise people for making biblical allusions in their songs or taking melodies from Irish folk music.

There’s no reason to suppose these people don’t have meaningful personal connection with what they’re doing here, and even if they didn’t, I think we can agree that one of the very real downsides of more organised spiritual practices is when some claim authority to determine what is or isn’t appropriate or meaningful practice.


Questionable marketing aside, this machine looks (and sounds!) so damn good. Like some of the best noise and harsh noise modules, but with some actual variation and the possibility of melodic output. I’ve lusted a long time for a Lyra, but that seems almost flat or monotone in comparison to the Strega.

Can’t wait to spend years nearly buying it and then deciding my money’s better spent elsewhere :weary:

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I can see reasons why Italian obsession with witches could be a trope in media, and why someone could be bothered by the tie not just to creative product, but the commodification of witch’ry. Valid points and expression, it seems odd to even need to say i “disagree” with aspects.

Dead horse beaten, I’m excited to get myself into a state while using the Strega, give it some magical love, and at least utilize it in a respectful manner :wink:

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Love the name - witches were our first doctors. The Christians destroyed them merely to oppress women… for me the synth is wild and doesn’t conform…

I find people on this forum are quick to bash and take offense from people on YouTube…

Have fun xx

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