Words by Baz Bardoe The Music Swop Shop in Elgin street Carlton emanates history. I always wonder how many instruments bought there have wound up on some of the nation’s stages, in the hands of who knows. The shop has been at the centre of a complex web of exchanges for longer than anyone seems able to remember, playing a pivotal role in Melbourne’s music culture. Many years ago I made an agreement with a fellow electronic music producer to only use items purchased here and the results were extremely good. You can literally find almost anything you want. As an electronic music maker I find trawling through the items which turn up at the shop fascinating. Currently they have a Korg DDM-220 for example. Originally created in the mid 80s, it is a percussion oriented rhythm machine designed to complement the DDM-110 drum machine. Like so many products from this era it disappoints in terms of what it is actually intended to do, yet it is completely fabulous in terms of unintended consequences. Much in the same way as the Roland TB303’s  ‘gimmick circuits’ didn’t make for very good ‘bass accompaniment’, this little box fails in terms of the authenticity of … Continue reading TOYS IN THE ATTIC