Day 407: Turn

Another walk down Oblique Strategies Lane.  Sometimes I'll draw 5 or 6 cards in the course of a piece, sometimes only three.  This time I only drew 2.  I opted for the strategy of only going for the deck if I got stuck.  Well, I didn't really get stuck much.

If you are reading this and are a Reason user and a guitar player you should check out the Strum and Thumb Refill.  It's a collection of effects for guitar.  I've taken to using it on tracks where I'm using the Shreddage Refill.  It compliments it nicely and all of the patches have a very nice analog feel to them.

Day 406: Dance, Dance, Smell-o-vision

A wicked little dance number full of piss and vinegar.

Wanted to play with some instruments that were kind of "out of tune".  The bass was the only one in which it was really noticeable, but I think the mission is accomplished either way.

Now shake dat booty.

Day 405: Continued Exploration

Used Forester on this piece, then imported that wave and chopped it up, added instruments, played with panning.  Instead of just recycling the pieces of previous tracks it was a lot more fun to add new instruments to the chopped pieces.

Some sounds by FGL.

My son helped in places by banging on the keyboard.

Day 404: Darkest Dark in the Darkening Darkness

A real shit day today.  I had another piece of music that kind of dancey, but I'll save that for when it comes closer to matching my mood.

Here's something dark, ominous, and oppressive.

Day 403: Don't Give up

At first this one was going to be a throwaway.  I kept chipping away at it and eventually it became interesting to me.  I have to explore the mallets in the Healing Hands refill that you hear a little more.  There's some good stuff there.

Day 402: Dark Corners

The sounds of horror lurking around every corner.

Something suspenseful, something a  little scary, something to build fear, something to confound expectation.

Day 401: For Adventure

Today we travel to the future.  Getting lost and swallowed by the city is a real fear.  Danger lurks around every corner.

Day 400: Silently

On this most auspicious day, the beginning of 500 days, I am attempting to make music that is more "organic".  Not necessarily being less electronic, just using some more accepted sounds.

This one takes advantage of sounds by New Atlantis Audio and Propellerheads.

It's short and simple.  I hope you enjoy.

Day 399: 400

This is 400 days.  Maybe it should be said more like this:

THIS IS 400 DAYS.

400 days I've been making music every day, releasing music no one has ever heard, trying to keep it fresh and interesting.

Over 13,000 plays on Soundcloud, new connections, beta-testing for a developer, a couple of people have even bought an album.  I've learned a lot, I've honed my skills, I continue to learn and get excited about new songs daily.

There's a forthcoming video, if I can ever find the time to actually record it.  The script was written by friend and author Colin Fox.  He also did some voice-over for it.  It's just kind of about making an effort to do a project like this, what it can take, what comes from it and other non-sense.

Lyrics:
We're all in the basement, hiding from the light.  
We're all in the basement, hiding from sight.
We're all in the ceiling, hiding from your eyes, 
We're all hiding from you.

We've all got a secret that you can't find.
We've all got a secret that you can't find.
We've all got a secret that you can't find.  
Secret of mine.

Day 398: The Odd Cover

So this one is a cover of the Beatles "Why don't we do it in the road?"  It was inspired by a conversation on Reddit.  I hope you like it.

Lyrics:
Why don't we do it in the road?
Why don't we do it in the road?
Why don't we do it in the road?
No one will be watching us,
Why don't we do it in the road?

It's quite different than the original.  Like, on a different planet, but it the version was influenced by the backstory of the original.  It's one of the few tracks that almost none of the other Beatles were involved in, when they were still calling themselves a group.  Ringo played some drums on it, but that's about it.  I find that thought very depressing, so I've modulated the whole thing to completely minor chords to reflect said feelings.

Day 397: Shabadoo

A short, dark piece in the style of the glitch musics.  It's not your mother's experimental sound (unless it is, in which case - that's one classy lady).










In other news, I'm working on a remix of "Why Don't We Do It in the Road?" by the Beatles.   I'm hoping that it will come off pretty good.

Cheers.

Day 396: Like an Echo

So, in the vein of what I was writing yesterday I started working on something that was very Beatles-esque.  It was acceptable and bland and just there.  It was incredibly boring to me, so I changed gears and put together today's submission instead.  I'm going to do something with the other piece, but I don't know if I'll actually post it here.  Maybe if it gets interesting enough.  We'll see.

In other news, this piece could be drum and bass if it weren't so weird.  I couldn't just let it be that.  I had to make it a little more interesting.  I hope you find it so.

Cheers.

Day 395: Changing Gears

After a year of weird electronic sounds, experimenting with machines, and generally making lots of music that may not see the light of day past Soundcloud, I've decided maybe I should focus on making things that could possibly make me some money eventually.  It helps that I happen to enjoy this kind og thing also.

Today's piece is perfect for a film.  It could probably fit into a few different genres.

Day 394: Scary

The killer was waiting.  His victims were down here somewhere, he only had to wait.

They all made the same mistakes.  If they would stay in one place and hide he'd have to kill them much slower.  One or two might even escape.

He quietly listened to water dripping from rusty, old pipes, waiting to hear the first footsteps.  He paced his breathing.

 He found that if he didn't slow down his heartrate then he couldn't enjoy it as much.

 Someone was crying.  He smiled.  Those were his favorites.  He liked to save them for last, but if this one revealed itself first, then so be it.

He tapped the knife against his forehead and thought for a moment.

Maybe the garrote first...

Day 393: Cold

It's really cold outside.

I continue to mess around with the No. 32 Refill.  I've created a couple of more patches here.  This time utilizing the drum sounds and creating a special combi from those.

More to come.

Lyrics:
This is how we measure loss, 

No way to measure this.  
You are my dream.  
You are my nightmare.

This is how we measure fate, 
No one here, 
what's your name? 
We are living in a dream.

This is how we measure hate, 
No one here what's your fate? 
I can't believe what you say.

This is how we measure lies, 
No one here, no surprise. 
Forgive me, I know not what I do.

Day 392: Autorun

Experimenting more with the No. 32 Refill.  This one uses machines that are powered by CV, with one melody instrument for flavor.

I actually built two different machines, but ended up only using one of them.  Inspiration and all that.

Enjoy the ambience.

Day 391: A Simple example

Today's track is a simple example made using the "No 32" refill by Patrick Sharpe.  It's an exquisitely modeled refill of the Roland SH-32 synth.  I created 3 or 4 combinator patches which I will share with Patrick once I have enough to make it worth the trouble of him releasing an update with more sounds.

Please enjoy.

Day 390: Time is Running Out

Time is running short for 400 days.  We are almost there.  Just passed 13,000 plays on Soundcloud so that's cool.

Utilizing samples by loopmasters again today.  In addition there are some totally sweet drums that are being created via Malstrom.  Not really my go to instrument for drums, but these came out of the Synthetic Kits refill from Nucleus Soundlabs.

Day 389: Werk da Werk Werk

Another weird one.

Piece inspired by patches from New Atlantis Audio and the Reason Jason McGerr Refill.

Lyrics:
From here I can almost see my house.
Don't you let me down.

Day 388: Something Just Occurred to Me

So I should totally devote days 707 and 808 and  909 to those machines.  Assuming I'm still doing this that long.  Don't know why I didn't think of that on day 303.  Oh well, opportunity missed.

Day 387: Dang Ol' Internets

Was attempting to upload everything to Bandcamp today to start 400 days, but Soundcloud had an error for several hours and prevented me from getting much work done.

The following is a Disquiet Junto project.

Well, wouldn't ya know that the weather in Tennessee was pretty boring on the day this project was associated with.  I decided to implement the shape of the temperature variance in several ways.  They include: Velocity, Modulation, Frequency, volume, and influence on panning.  I tried to add as much interest as possible using texture and effects.

I hope you enjoy.

More on this 106th Disquiet Junto project (“Treat the weather as a graphically notated score”) at:

disquiet.com/2014/01/09/disquiet0106-sonarvortex/

More on the Disquiet Junto at:

disquiet.com/?p=16588

Join the Disquiet Junto at:

soundcloud.com/groups/disquiet-junto/

Day 386: Crossrhodes

Reason Screenshot

Somewhere between downtempo/triphop and glitch is this track.

Day 385: ObliStrag

Nothing wrong with repetition.  I know because the Oblique Strategies told me so.

Just trying to play with some more "organic" sounds this time around.

Day 384: In three-four

A track in 3/4 time!  Don't hear those very often (from me).

In a rush, so I hope you like.

Day 383: Getting Close to 400

400 days is just around the corner. I better get my act together and start creating the album on Bandcamp.

Day 382: Hungerplains

Another experiment with subtractor, reason, live sampling and Oblique Strategies cards.

Day 381: You, Me, She, It, They, Him, Our

Continuing the Oblique Experiment combined with Subtractor.  This one is definitely a little bit more out there, but I think it's still relevant.

Tomorrow we're supposed to be hit by winter storm Hercules.  Temperatures were 55 (F), but are supposed to drop to 9 degrees fahrenheit tonite.  That's crazy.

Day 380: Even more oblique

The Oblique Strategies course continues unabated.  I really need to make that video of "Here's What I Did This Year" sometime soon.  I just need about 6 hours to myself to do it.  Don't know when that's going to happen.

Day 379: Some Some Some

In my experimenting with subtractor I'm also experimenting with the Oblique Strategies by Brian Eno.  I made myself a deck of cards several years ago and have never really used them to their fullest potential.  I'm finding that they really boost my creativity and am really liking the results I'm getting.  The name in this one is even inspired the first two letters "So" are for "Strategies, Oblique".  Tomorrow's post is another one with a similar name.  Moving forward you will know whenever this will apply just based on the the name.

Lyrics:
Have you met my friend?
He's so tall and green.
You will love him.
Come meet my friend.

Day 378: Ramping Up

Continuing the thread from the last few days, here is another piece experimenting with Reason, CV routing, LFO's, and automation.  All done with subtractor for sounds and a little bit of routing thru rack extensions by The Chronologists.

Day 377: Buzz in the New Year

Wanted to revisit Subtractor and continue making patches for it.  I plan on releasing a Refill, probably for free, later this year, of nothing but Subtractor patches.  Every type of instrument you can think of and just try to mutilate some sounds.  I feel like it's potential is rarely unlocked by most Reason users, so I'm going to do my damndest to show how amazing it can be.