The first xoxos VST was released in 2002. At the time, there were few VST, fewer freeware VST, and no freeware VST with non-linear pitch envelopes. Blaster's free, exponential envelopes added punch to synthetic percussion and was one of the first VST releases created with Synthedit.

The beginning of the VST era promised affordable electronic music production for anyone that owned a computer, which seemed unimaginable before that time.

In the 70's and 80's electronic music represented new ideas and the expression of individuality to me. I grew up with a multicultural background that often meant having a different (and therefore often incongruent) perspective regardless of where I happened to be. Before I could afford MIDI gear I used to make music with bargain rate used effects pedals and junk, recording on a Tascam 424 cassette 4-track. In the 90's I enthusiastically perused sites like dancetech.com where choice investment information for low budget music production was traded.

My objective was always to catalyse society by promoting access to the medium of dialogue, so that assuming the role of developer instead of demanding equal resources from others was natural.

Industry highlights.. in 2007 my Sounds of Nature VST collection awarded me some fame and prize money by winning the Developer Challenge. The April 2005 edition of Sound of Sound  magazine included a nice mention of my work including BreathCube, quipping "when does he find the time to sleep?" Several articles in european and japanese magazines have been run on my plugins.

Western civilisation has changed since the eighties, and today, proliferating synthesis algorithms has less relevance to social issues. I still find the practice engrossing, and the prospect of being able to increase and apply my practical knowledge beneficially worthwhile.

I am less enthusiastic today about the prospect of algorithmic content generation than I have been in the past. I proposed and implemented models with the intent of providing contrast between elemental memetic structure and localised cultural reference such as BreathCube. From my perspective, it almost seems that the volume of perception management has risen continuously to meet the advance of exchange in an increasingly technological culture.

In the past I have been very outspoken on the matter of cultural diversity, having lived in Tucson for three decades and having been raised in a discretely socialist 1970's Wales and England, living in Australia, having resided on the White Mountain Apache Reservation and Arcosanti, and having circled the globe a number of times during my formative years, and appreciating all culture that expresses compassion and tolerance for others, such as the inviolable jains. This changed in 2005 when I found myself subjected to the bizarre form of harassment known as gang stalking.

One cannot make a case for gang stalking. Today it is still not awarded even the dubious recognition of a Wikipedia entry, although 10% of calls to the National Center for Victims of Crime report it. There is no accredited reference whatsoever and the claimant is left with very tenuous grounds given the massive amount of detractive, derisive, artificial, offensive and ludicrous material on the subject.

My insistence on describing my experiences for public awareness has detracted from my reception in the field and those who are at odds with my politics profess that it is a natural extention thereof. Despite the alarming experiences and personal losses I have been subjected to I have continued to publish solid, efficient, and utilitation applications, maintained my position on my experiences and retained a supportive user base.

Rurik Leffanta