As well as working on my hardware productions, I’ve recently begun using Nanostudio – a portable music app for iOS – to compose music while I’m away from the rig. This app is amazingly capable, and should become even more complex with future updates.
Below is a recording of a jam I wrote in Nanostudio, this is recorded live as if it was from my hardware. I’ve programmed 3 synths and 8 drums in a 4-bar loop. I then tweak some parameters and mute/unmute channels to change dynamics.
I first heard Miniature Airlines’ music over at EM411, and was immediately drawn to the rich textures and bewildering, glitchy rhythms. When the opportunity arose to remix a track from his new album, I was quick to jump on board.
I chose to rework the song ‘Horses Never Know the Odds’, as the acid drones and high-end percussion really appealed to me.
This remix took the better part of a month, after an initial period of inactivity due to a broken leg. I composed this in Bhajis on my Palm TX; this is the first non-hardware piece I’ve produced in over a year. It was great to delve into Bhajis again, it is well suited to sample manipulation and allowed me to chop, edit and reinterpret Dylan’s tune, piece by piece.
Of course, I highly recommend the originals as well:
Just a heads up for anyone who is going to see any films at the Melbourne International Film Festival this year; one of my early songs, “Rustic Brass”, is being used as the soundtrack to the announcement reel. This will screen before every film at the festival, so hold off on the popcorn and enjoy the beats!
I submitted a number of songs, and “Rustic Brass” was selected. It is about 7 years old, written with software while I was at uni. It’s not a song I would’ve guessed anyone would want to use, so I was pleasantly surprised.
Another quick update to share some recent recordings, fresh from the hardware! The synth parts of these two tracks were originally written for the Waldorf Blofeld. However, I have now switched to a Virus Classic for synth tones, as it allows me greater options for live tweaking, plus the added bonus of a dedicated output for bass.
The MIDI sequences for these songs remain the same, and all Machinedrum voices (i.e. rhythmic elements) are unchanged. The bassline for these tunes is now made from a synth voice, rather than an altered kick-drum. Re-crafting patches for the melodies was difficult, as I had grown quite attached to the patches I’d made on the Blofeld. Letting go of this attachment was quite healthy though, and will allow further evolution of these songs and patterns in future months. Onwards and upwards….
Just a quick update to share a tune I recorded recently. I have been getting into the Virus Classic, learning how to program and perform with it. Thus, this jam has some pretty constant synth tweakery…perhaps a bit too much at times! Cactus Mattress is a more uptempo tune than those previously shared here, and represents the genesis of a faster, more dancey live set which I am currently writing. I hope you enjoy:
Had a very busy three weeks, playing live at house parties three Saturdays in a row! Great fun and practice, and I’m grateful to Simon, Luke/Sash/Kelly, and Ian for the opportunity to play my music at their respective events.
"an orgy of cables"
Blasting out beats
Here’s a fresh tune. I recorded this performance a few weeks ago, shortly after writing the song. I’ve refined the performance and programming since, but this gives you an idea of how it began:
Here are two of the songs I performed on the Joy Sessions radio-show a few weeks ago, individually separated for your easy listening pleasure. I’ve chosen not to present my performance of Tuned Rune as an individual download, but you can still hear it in the full radio podcast.
Broken Clock – The Ossom Possum (Live on Joy FM, March 17 2010)
On Wednesday night, Nick and myself took to the airwaves for two hours of electronic music goodness. We each took in our hardware rigs and played a few songs, and also showcased some music from our friends around the globe.
Joy's control desk, my rig in background
This was our first radio show, so some parts are a little rough.It was great fun though – very hectic as we both handled the on-air duties as well as performing live. We hope to do this again soon, and look forward to refining our radio skills.
You can download the show on the links below. Over the weekend, I will provide individual download links for the live songs performed.
I performed three songs. In the first hour you can hear Tuned Rune and Porous Walrus. In the second hour I performed The Ossom Possum. Minor mistakes aside, I was very pleased with how the songs went and will use the experience of playing on-air to refine future performances.
