BugBrand
Home to the works of Tom Bugs
Handbuilt electronic audio devices / Sonic Works / Stuff
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Jun08 - BugBrand was closed for most of June, but I'm back to it now..

May08 - More BugCrushers have just been added to the Shop
Details of the new Workshop circuit are emerging on the BugBlog with more circuitry details to appear soon on the Electronics Page (so you can build one yourself)
There are some imminent shows too...

Late Apr08 - Two BugCrusher versions are released - a new stomp version of the big BugCrusher08 and a new production version of the BugCrusherMicro. All now sold out!
And some shows have been added in Bristol and Berlin for May / June..

Early Apr 08 - The time is flying and I've been bad at keeping the website updated! Building has been going good in the workshop - all the Weevil08s have gone for now and soon there will be some BugCrusher actions (Micro and BugCrusher08s). Beyond that other things are brewing....
There's been a new Modular case built for shows over the summer plus new electronic works using CMOS chips...
And there will be a BugBrand visit to Berlin at the end of May - more details coming soon...

22nd Feb 08 - The new Weevil08 has just hit the shop in a batch of 10.

11th Feb 08 - Some initial details and an mp3 of the forthcoming Weevil08 are now on the BugBlog.
This should be hitting the shop within the next two weeks.

28th Jan 08 - A batch of 8 new & powerful desktop BugCrushers is released today (..all sold out now!!)
This has been a while coming due to changes in my production methods (there's some details on the BugBlog). The next release will now be some new Weevils - I just got the PCBs for these, so sometime in Feb.. Beyond that I'm currently working on a production PCB for the BugCrusherMicro - there have been many requests for more of these!
PostcardWeevils are also back in regular stock now - check the shop.

20th Dec07 - Just enough time before Christmas to bring out the new PostcardWeevil08

Dec07 - I'm back after my operation and new things are brewing in BugWorld.
Announcing the release of the compact BugCrusherMicro - batch of 10 pedals released today (now sold out!)
This will be the last batch of devices this year. New techniques are being formulated for excitement in the New Year.
Join the mailing list to hear announcements of new boxes!
For the most up-to-date info do keep checking the BugBrandBlog

Apr07 - What happened to Knowledge of Bugs: My (melodic) solo project seems to have fallen dormant over the last year. No recordings, no gigs... Building electronic devices has kept me damn busy and I've also lost interest in using computers for live performances. The structured nature of KoB songs means that they're pretty much impossible to play on the quite chaotic devices I now use for live (BugBrand) shows.

Some Recents: AudioWeevil07 BabyBugCrusher9v PostcardWeevil07

Saturday 24th May - Workshop at PickledFeet - build a noisy drone circuit (quite like a PostcardWeevil) - very limited places
- some details of the circuit are now on the Electronics Page

June - Further works in Portugal with NIP (New Interfaces for Performance) and a workshop event at the Um Festival, Lisbon.
SolarWeevils were also roadtested.

August 2nd/3rd - Back for another year at the Goldmund Festival near Berlin - modular performance + SolarWeevils

BugBrand is the umbrella for works by Tom Bugs, based in Bristol UK. BugBrand is all about DIY and inhabits the fertile world where art and technology (albeit somewhat cranky!) meet. The ethos is one of creative engineering - the reveling in and utilisation of a diverse array of technological methods, but combined with respect and wonder for the chance and indefinable processes tied up in music and sound. My work tends to use analogue rather than digital technology.

Audio Works:
I come from a pretty musical background. In the last few years I've passed through a number of bands, along with my solo work as Knowledge of Bugs. But electronics now keeps me busy so such projects have had to take a back seat.

I still get to record bands from time to time. Recent projects have been albums for Francois & the Atlas Mountain Ensemble and Safetyword.

I've also worked a lot as a sound engineer at the very wonderful Cube Cinema in Bristol.

The BugBrand Workshop/Studio, Bristol (April 2007)