Still on the Internet, Still a Nobody
Time for another burst of sonic shock and awe, one from each of my modular synth setups; starting with this beefed up remix of my Puls8 track, with added loops, beats and samples and an FX laden visual accompaniment.
And then there’s a completely new tune, a complex, glitchy electronica piece created using Hexen, mixed with a percussion track made on my sampler. The videos took me the best part of a day each and they are both definitely best enjoyed in full HD.
The time has come for me to move on up to the next level of music production, using programmable modular synthesizers.
Now, having no idea how any of these things work (as usual), I once again embarked on the experimental stage of a steep learning curve.
The first synth app I treated myself to is called HEAT; featuring a bewildering array of switches, sliders and knobs with nothing in the way of instructions…
…however, with a lot of fiddling and twiddling and many hours of making unlistenable noises, I started to get to grips with the huge number of variable sonic parameters and worked out how to control and manipulate the sounds it produces.
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If possible, the second virtual synth I bought is even more complicated and goes by the name HEXEN. It is described as a “eurorack modular synth” and allows me to build an unlimited combination of modules (sequencers, samplers, oscilloscopes, tape units, effects generators, etc) on the rack’s six shelves, using an endless supply of patch cables.
Having eventually discovered how to add modules and record the resulting output with a tape unit, I’m now learning to incorporate the infinite possibilities of Hexen into fully mixed tracks, but for now here’s a video of it running my first attempt at a programmed sequence.
And finally, here’s my first completely original production using the HEAT synth, also featuring drum patterns and samples which were added at the mixing stage; ladies and gentlemen, I give you the decidedly colourful video for Puls8.
Hi there, welcome back to the third and final part of my musical update of 2022, specifically; a series of collaborations with my Russian friend, Alexey, aka MakeUp.
Alexey is a talented photographer, filmmaker and musician from Russia, who I originally got to know as part of the global resurgence in Twin Peaks fandom a few years ago and who shares my interest in peculiar electronica soundscapes.
We were chatting on Facebook a few weeks ago and he sent me some of his back catalogue to listen to and I couldn’t resist trying a quick remix.
I wanted to create a whole new tune to combine with Alexey’s “Sexy Acid Track” and for no reason at all I chose one with a Zouk Bass kind of feel (a sub-genre of bass-heavy electronic dance music with its roots in African and Caribbean percussion) and you can sample the resulting, glitchy aural collage below.
This is the only video I’ve made so far but there is at least one more collaborative track completed, so I imagine that will also see the light of day before too long.
Hello, Happy New Year and welcome to part two of this roundup of recent audio visual output, this time focusing on music I made entirely by myself, as opposed to adding to/remixing existing material.
I created each of these compositions using dozens of samples, which I patiently assembled from the hundreds I’ve found by trawling the internet, then added extra layers of sound by mixing two or more of these initial sequences together.
The videos are made with a variety of pattern generating and editing apps, often using several different versions superimposed on top of each other, then multiple layers of effects are added (because I never did know when to stop) to achieve the sometimes retina-bothering results you see below.
I’m aware my sonic noodlings are sometimes rather long, which is a result of my preferred method of a “live jamming” recording process. I really only make the accompanying videos because YouTube links are the easiest to share, so if prolonged exposure is a bit much for you, I quite understand. ;~}
There is a whole load more music which is yet to be released into the wild, so my next project will be to compile some of that into my third Bandcamp album of original material. Watch this space for details.
Anyway, to the music.
This first one started out as a silent experiment in overlaying animations and I thought it needed a soundtrack, so I repurposed an old track of mine with some effects, just for fun.
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After which, there’s this, the first result of the aforementioned experimentation. I started making the video one weekend and didn’t get round to finishing it, so it sat there in my editing app all week and every now and again I’d have an idea like; “Ooh, what this needs is loads of dancing robots…”
Then I’d think of another layer of effects to apply, then another, and another.
After the slightly creepy, pumpkin headed dancing men arrived, I figured it was time to stop
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Here’s a slice of psychedelic disco for you, the video is a bit like being sucked into a funky wormhole.
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Trance and techno more your sort of thing? Try this great big wall of sound production, it’s pretty damn anthemic, even if I do say so myself. (You could even check out the Extended Breakbeat Remix, should you so wish)
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And finally there’s this, well, I’m not sure what you’d call it, but it certainly builds to a very satisfactory crescendo of interesting noises.
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Stay tuned for part three, coming soon…
Time for an update on my DIY musical output, so hold onto your ears and limber up your eyeballs.
I thought I’d split the more recent sonic experiments into two separate posts; original compositions (featured in the next post) and remixes of existing tracks by other artists, including a genuine collaboration with a musician friend in Russia, which gets a post all of its own.
In this collection of extended remixes, complete with their own bespoke, psychedelic videos, any additional music you hear in the mix was created by me using my virtual sampler, sequencer and mixing decks and the videos were also produced and edited by yours truly.
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Good evening to you, I hope you’re having a good start to the weekend, even if it isn’t the extended one we’re enjoying here in the UK for the queen’s platinum jubilee.
That isn’t the only thing worth celebrating today, however, because he time has finally come for me to air a new collection of original music, in the form of my new album, Process of Elimination.
Listen for free or purchase one or more of the album’s 15 lovingly crafted tracks via the Bandcamp player below.
As if that wasn’t enough, I’ve already created videos for a few of the new tunes and here are three of my favourites.
Hi there, sorry I haven’t posted in a while, life has been a bit full and I’ve been absorbed in various other creative pursuits, the main one being audio visual in nature, about which more in the not too distant future.
But for now I’m concentrating on the purely visual arts, namely; The Cosmic Photo Challenge.
For well over 200 posts now, my fellow intrepid photographic adventurers and I have challenged ourselves to come up with images themed around a weekly prompt and the results have been eye-opening, to say the least.
The creativity and talent out there in the blogosphere never ceases to amaze me and I’m very grateful to all of those who regularly take part…but I want to see more of that fantastic talent and imagination.
To that end, I’m reposting this week’s challenge here, with a few extra photos thrown in to sweeten to deal, along with ***A REALLY REALLY OBVIOUS LINK*** to The Cosmic Photo Challenge’s new home, so you can come on over and get involved.
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On The Cosmic Photo Challenge this week, I asked you to capture your images; On the shore.
After over 20 years living in North Devon, I finally made my first trip to a hidden Victorian gem, Tunnel Beaches in Ilfracombe.
Accessed by an unassuming white tunnel entrance just a few minutes walk from the high street, these beaches were opened in the early 1800s with the two naturally separated coves enabling ladies and gentlemen to bathe with their modesty intact. The gentlemen’s beach was in use for a wedding yesterday, so I took a stroll around the rugged landscape of the ladies beach and made a video tour, accompanied by an extract from a recently composed piece of appropriately watery ambient electronica*.
Where did your search for the water’s edge take you at the weekend? Let’s have a look at your pictures…
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*{Should you wish to experience the full version of this new track, along with it’s own, strangely mesmerizing video, you can do so HERE}
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To get involved with the challenge; check out the Cosmic Photo Prompt each Friday, then post a photo (or photos) on your blog the following Monday, with a pingback link to my Monday post.
Tag your posts with #CosPhoChal.
Any and all effects, editing, Photoshop, Instagram, morphing, collages, animation, gifs, or whatever other post production techniques you fancy are permitted, (in fact, they’re actively encouraged!) so get creative and turn your photos into artworks for the Cosmic Photo Challenge.
Hello there, happy new year to you all, here’s a new musical treat for you, to start 2022 off on a funky note. It’s a little disco number I call Daft Kerplunk, in tribute to a certain defunct French electro duo by whom it is inspired.
Mind your eyeballs, it’s about to get…complicated.
I have been working overtime in my home studio complex recently (oh alright, sitting on the sofa with my phone) to produce not one but two extraordinary new examples of multimedia madness to inflict on you share with you.
To start with, here’s the YouTube video for a chilled out fusion of minimal techno, garage beats and vocal samples entitled Content Blocked…
That’s followed by something completely different; an enormous, slowly building wall of sound production which quite frankly defies description, aptly named Unhinged Malady.
{The embedded Instagram player features an exclusive, extra-insane, retina-scrambling version of the video, but if you can’t access that one for any reason, here’s the original YouTube edit}
Another weekend of digital fiddling and multimedia mucking about has ended up with another new piece of genre-defying electronic music and an accompanying video which gives new meaning to the word “trippy”.
The video was made using only a single photo, which I was using to make some artwork for the track’s Bandcamp release. I got a bit carried away adding more and more extra layers of effects and, although the resulting visuals weren’t created by synching them with the music, they are still pretty awesome in their psychedelic trippiness.
RETURN OF THE INTERNET NOBODY 