MELODIC ENERGY COMMISSION was formed many centuries ago to investigate and experiment with the energy caused by melodies, portrayed through sound patterns often classified as music.
Their original sound patterns were inscribed into clay cylinders and later, vinyl platters then distributed throughout the galaxies. Eventually, the investigations expanded to rhythmic and atonal pattern interpretation. So, more recordings have been created during these investigations and began appearing around planet earth.
On their recent plastic discs the Commissioners have placed advanced communications, disguised as songs and elaborate soundscapes.

•  Interesting, very colorful.

THE SHORT
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-the man cable- is the pseudonym that I use in my guise as a music producer and electronic music artist. For my drumming gigs, I usually just go by Robert Cummings.

In recent years, I’ve worked deeply with Steinberg Nuendo, my current favourite audio platform in the digital realm. My expertise includes mixing (digital/analog) and mastering, group and vocal tracking, live and studio drumming, drum programming, arranging and editing. I also have contacts to a wide range of pro musicians around the world. The music projects I’ve worked on or performed with have ranged from electronics to rock to jazz to everything in between ... even childrens’ CDs!

THE LONG
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Born and raised in winter-blasted Winnipeg in Manitoba, Canada, I began drumming in 1983. I studied privately there until 1986 when I moved to the mild coastal climes of Vancouver, BC. After studying with jazz drum instructors there (Jim Chivers), I gained initial playing experience with touring/recording acts such as People Playing Music and Juno award-winning Alpha Yaya Diallo from Guinea, Africa. After an intermediate stop in Paris, France, I moved to Berlin, Germany in 1992 where I continued working as a drummer/percussionist in several groups.
In Berlin, I recorded percussion on two CDs by Genetic Drugs (”Karma Club” in 1993 and “Karma Pharma” in 1996) and became interested in the possibilities of electronics in music through work with Janek Siegele (Jayrope, Hardman, Girls United, The Sighs, klikklak records). The two co-founded the half-live, half-electronic avant pop band Rope in 1996 and completed “Rope Hotel” in 1997 for Alec Empire’s Geist imprint. A follow-up CD, “It’s No Fun To Compute”, was released in 2000. In the meantime, he started his solo project as the man cable and released a debut CD entitled “derouting” in 2000. This project continues to this day and a new release is planned for 2005.
From 1999 to 2001, I performed and recorded as drummer/percussionist with the renowned Die Geschwister Pfister, a comedy and music act that played to full houses throughout Germany, Austria and Switzerland. “The Voice of Snow White” was released in 2000 on Traumton records. During this period, I also contributed live electronics to the well-known 17 Hippies on their project The Sexy Ambient Hippies. This culminated in the release “17 Hippies Play Sexy Ambient Hippies” (Hipster Records/ Soul Food) in 2003.
I joined Klaus Janek’s electro-acoustic jazz-dancefloor project DeeQ in 2001 and worked on the CD “Fresher Than Air” in 2002. Also in 2002, I started production on Alpendub—a wild mixture of German alpine sounds with dubbed-out grooves that has aroused interest throughout the world. Alpendub has two releases thus far: “the man cable presents Alpendub” in 2003 and “Jo-Delay” in 2004.
I perform live on a regular basis as a drummer/ percussionist in settings ranging from jazz trio (Matias König Trio) to cajun/zydeco (Colinda) to straight-of-the-saddle country (The Maplewood Boys) to live electronic collaborations (the man cable vs. NBI) to crooner swing jazz (The Swingin Bohemians). As of fall/winter 2006, I will be performing with Denis Fischer in Six Strings That Drew Blood.