Kyle Grimm
Audio Feed
Old State House Square Food Court
Hartford
October 28, 2026
The online announcement for Kyle Grimm’s Audio Feed concert shows him holding an upright bass and a bow, so I was understandably surprised when I arrived at the concert and saw him sitting at a table with so much electronic equipment it looked like he was going to help launch the space shuttle.
Grimm is an accomplished double bassist, composer and assistant professor at the Hartt School. But at the Old State House Food Court, Grimm instead broke out his synthesizer and took the lunchtime crowd through an hour-long journey of music fusion, featuring elements from genres ranging from ambient and techno to modular synth and electronica.
That description comes from Grimm himself; I profess ignorance about the differences between various kinds of synthesizer-based music. One thing I did notice, though, is the relaxed feeling of Grimm’s music. Instead of the hard-driving beats of electronic music meant specifically for dancing, his music felt more like an exploration of sound and its composition.
Grimm’s performance was an hour-long song that showed off both his musical talents and what the synthesizer could do. Over the course of the hour, I identified at least a dozen different sounds, some frenetic and bombastic, that moved the song through a transition, and others that were barely audible until their refrain grew louder and became the new melody.
By halfway through the show, Grimm had completely changed the sound he was making, even though he’d never stopped performing. The adjustments and improvisations he made along the way had warped the sound into something new. Yes, the people behind the drum machines and synthesizers are making music, not simply watching a computer do it.
In a world of touch screens and voice controls, Grimm’s setup is awesomely analog by design. He said he was tired of sitting behind a computer screen, so three years ago he began building his custom synthesizer setup.
Each section is its own module which controls a different aspect of the performance: producing sound, controlling its volume and modulation, adding effects and more. He also has additional pieces of equipment, like a sequencer and a second synthesizer that includes a keyboard for melodies.
Grimm said building the synthesizer took a lot of money, research and experimentation, and he’s still not done. There are components that he’s considering altering or swapping out entirely, but the tactile sensation of making music makes it worth it.
“Now I just turn knobs and listen, and that's really satisfying,” he said. Those knobs allow Grimm to exercise precise control over all elements of the music, which he said he enjoys about electronic music. But he reiterated that the synthesizer is just one element of his love of music, and that he enjoys both electronic music and the acoustic sound of his bass.
Audio Feed has brought some great, unique acts out for its fall concert series, and I’m excited to see what’s in store next week.
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