Václav Peloušek: Getting Maximum Out of a Minimum

Mentor

Václav Peloušek is a musician, educator, artist, and founder and lead designer of the synthesizer company Bastl Instruments. He studied in Brno and at the University of Applied Arts in Vienna. With Ondřej Merta, he started the art and education project Standuino (2011), which later evolved into Bastl Instruments. Since 2013, the company has developed and produced many desktop synthesizers, effects, samplers (microGranny 2, Thyme, Kastle) and a whole range of Eurorack modular synthesizer modules. The company also collaborates with Peter Edwards (Casper Electronics) on several modules and instruments, for example the softPop and the bitRanger. Coming from a D.I.Y. artistic background, Peloušek’s conducted many workshops and happenings at festivals, universities and other venues (STEIM – Amsterdam, The Cologne University of Music, Superbooth and Loop – Berlin, MuseumsQuartier – Vienna, MENT – Ljubljana, PIFcamp – Soča, Shape Platform – Meetfactory Prague, Synthposium – Moscow, Fold – London). The company has also initiated countless local community activities, organised shows and even set up the Noise Kitchen store in Prague. From 2017 to 2018, Bastl ran the venue Herna in Brno. Since 2018, Peloušek’s been developing his solo musical project Toyota Vangelis under which he’s released several singles and EPs, and performed at events around Europe (Lunchmeat or Meetfactory – Prague, Synthposium – Moscow, Modular Day – Barcelona, CV Freqs – London, Klunkerkranich or Humboldthain – Berlin). He was artist in residence at Locatie Spatie in Arnhem in 2011 and at Opekta Studios in Cologne in 2012.