Day 354: Hordes

The electronic orcs streamed from Middle Earth.  Their metallic jaws dripping nanobot infested saliva.  It's color, one of blood and oil.  They only dreamed of one thing.  Infecting the world.  They only had two states, on and off.  Off would not come until every last fibre of their bodies was destroyed by fire or particle beam.

Who will save us?

Day 352: Random, again

This track is a call back to some time ago when I randomly chose 4 patches from the Propellerheads XMas 2012 Refill.  I can't find a link to it, it may not be on the web anymore, but there were lots and lots of people who donated patches to it, myself included.  I used more than 4 patches this time, but you get the idea. This came out a little disjointed, but I think I like it.

Day 306: Bigger and Bigger

I attempted to combine several disparate synthesizers into one giant one and succeeded, sort of.  It does make a pretty big sound, although maybe not the exact sound I would have chosen.  I will have to be a little more selective and crafty on the next attempt.

Day 268: Along these lines

I don't really have a lot of experience with people involved with heavy drug use, so the lyrics to this track are completely baseless.  Just some words I made up basically.

Lyrics:
We all know you're a liar, 
We all know you're a fiend, 
We all know you're a piece of shit junkie.

We all know you'd kill us for your next fix, 
We all know you don't give a shit about any of this.

Lick the floor to see if you can get high.  
Lick the walls and sell your blood SO YOU CAN get high.

Restitution is a joke now, 
We all want death for you. 

It was nice knowing you.

Day 248: Almost 250, Actually 250 (Not Really)

Since I started counting at zero, this is actually post 250 (Edit: post 249 due to counting error).  Another 115 days and we'll be at a year.  It's flown by so far and I can say that I've learned a lot about making music, production, and myself.  Today's piece seems to be inspired by DJ Shadow.  So does that make it instrumental hip hop?

Day 244: Explicit

Parental Advisory: Very Explicit Lyrics.

Day 238: Like a Robot Boss

This track comes courtesy of controlled voltage in Reason.  I've done a bit of routing and playing with just a few waveform generators so you could hear this short work.  The title kind of presented itself after the work was done.

I will admit that I felt like a fucking champ after successfully routing all the stuff in the picture and creating what I can comfortably call music.

Day 235: Spaced Out

As someone famous never said "I like my music like I like my women:  LONG, SLOW, AND AMBIENT."

As I continue my daily experiments with the Malstrom synthesizer unit I'm coming to appreciate it a little more.  Working with it takes a little more "effort" than Thor or Subtractor.  If you put some thought behind your decisions then the machine yields some stupendous sounds.  With Thor and Subtractor I frequently twiddle knobs and play with random routing to see how it comes out.  Malstrom requires a little more finesse.

This piece has a strong Brian Eno influence to it, although it didn't start out that way.  The synth stab you hear at the beginning was the start, which, to me, is very un-Eno-like.  It evolved into this kind of noisy ambient piece you hear here over a few days work.

Day 234: Getting Up There

An ambient work that's just begging to be in a film.  Now to find the film....

Day 230: Not Religious in Nature

Wanted to work on a piece that used just the Malstrom synthesizer in Reason.  It's a pretty awesome little unit, but I frequently ignore because Thor is so much more powerful.  I've tried before, but didn't have a whole lot of luck.  It went a little better this time.  Please enjoy.

Lyrics:
The Sun in the sky showed us it was time to bring out the sacrifice.

You stood above the crowd shouting so loud,
Finger pointing the way,
Words sounding so true.
You pulled out all the lies,
You held them in the air,
All of us stood in awe, going nowhere.

You showed us the way,
Nothing we could say.

When words won't suffice,
Action will have to do.
You held up your end of the bargain.
We have to follow all  the way down.
Something in the truth of the path you showed us.

REFRAIN

The Sun in the sky showed us it was time to bring out the sacrifice.

REFRAIN

Day 223: Quietly

We listen to the sound of bells,
No one can hear them,
No one can tell,
You wait with ears strained, patient to see,
Is anyone listening to you or to me?

Day 210: Ghost Finder

Started with a simple experiment using Scope Jr (by the Chronologists), just to see how their devices actually affect CV routing.  That is, what the wave forms look like before and after.  Click on the picture below for an example.

I was influenced by Peff's great CV tutorial on his website.  From there the monster grew a second head, a third arm, and a horn.  Ended up with this piece.

Lyrics:
Look to the sky,
She's not there.
Look to the clouds,
She's not there.

You are hunting a ghost.

Day 186: Good from Random

Used patches from the Propellerheads Xmas Refill 2012. 
Patches created by: cr68, betrax, fraluc, king eternal, puniho, naviretlav, moofi, dave909, and julibee.  You can find them on Soundcloud, the Propellerheads Forums, and some other places too.

Lyrics:
Some animals: 
are too fast.
are too slow.
Never thought we could get past,
I can't keep up with your flow.

Day 180: Just another day

Just another day, just another experiment, just another piece of music.  Just this.

Lyrics:
It's just another day, 
Don't try to get away, 
You and I we have to stay, 
It's just another day.

You should try to escape, 
there's only one way.

Day 176: Post Rock Poster Child

One of the things that is a common theme among post-rock bands is obliqueness.  Many frequently tell you nothing about the band, or try to heighten the allure by only giving you snippets of information.  Liner notes are frequently pointless (if you still by CDs) and websites are often just pictures and tour dates, maybe a short bio that leaves more questions than answers.  I guess that's why I would never be great in a post-rock band, I think the distribution of information helps the cause.  I'm a fan of openness (hence the blogging).

This work was powered by Nine Volt Audio loops.  Not entirely, but a lot of it.

Cheers.

Lyrics:
We dig in the ground, 
Where all the bodies are found.
When you are around,
You will come on down.

Day 168: Time-keeping isn't keeping time

Lyrics:
It's not like you to forget what you were saying.
It's not like you to forget what's next.
Where are you now?
Come back to us.
Where are you now?
Come back to us.

Day 166: Swelling Frustration Leads to Inspiration

Without getting too personal there are things in daily life, work, etc that you come to expect.  "Expectations" let's call them.  When these expectations become exceptions you start to get frustrated.  This piece rose out of that.  Creatively, I felt stifled, but overall I think it came out okay.

Life goes on.

Lyrics:
Listen up to what I tell you.  
I can't believe I have to spell it out. 
What do you want? A picture?
Take this.  
Listen up, you better listen up.
How long will it take for you to understand?  
I can't take much longer for you to understand
I only have so much patience.  
I only have so much time.
Listen up. 
You better listen up.

Day 163: New Electronic Post

Trying to explore something "new".  I like post rock, I like glitch, I like electro-synth, I like ambient.  Trying to make "New Electronic Post".  Maybe it's a genre that already exists under another name, if so, please let me know.

Years ago I was sleep deprived for about 36 hours and I started hearing this music in my head that was something unlike anything I'd ever experienced.  I typed a long rambling email and sent it to a few people, but it was a little out there and the ideas weren't very fully formed.  I could sense being on the cusp of something and grasping for it in the darkness.

I feel like this, and a few other recent works, might be the genre I was hearing in my head.  If nothing else, it's definitely the start of something for me.

Lyrics:
You said you're loaded for bare, You said you'd take us anywhere,
Got on my helmet and my boots, so let's go
It's not like you lied again, let's just be honest, are we even friends?
I want to take it all back, but I can't take it, no I can't take it.
When the sun shines in the spring, we'll have a moment of clarity and peace.
Your eyes will lighten and grow eager again, and we'll once more call each other friend.

Day 160: Controlling Controlled Voltage

Moving back to figuring out how to do things - this piece has a few instances of Now by The Chronologists.  Still figuring this one out.

Transistor,
No Impedance.
Now we dance in the ashes.

Correct this voltage.
Correct this life.
Straighten this arrow.
Dull this knife.

Shogun, powerful.
Armored Fool.
Waiting army.
Waiting for nothing.

Correct this voltage.
Correct this life.
Straighten this arrow.
Dull this knife.

Day 157: No Story, Just Music

So, I don't delve into the world on pop very often, but sometimes you just go where the music takes you.  Today it took me to, what I can only think of as Pop World™! This super-pop piece was working with several very high quality loops from Nine Volt Audio and high quality instruments (Propellerhead creations - Bass and Drums specifically).  I thought it came out decent.  The lyrics on the other hand....

Lyrics:
You and I only have one day left.
We just have tonight.

You are the one,
It's oh so true,
You hold my heart,
When I'm next to you.
I don't know if I can say goodbye.

You in your overcoat,
Click of heels on the street,
As we walk hand in hand into the light.
You leap commitments in a single bound,
Don't let your feet touch the ground
Our future's nearly out of sight.
Where do we go from here?
Where do we go?

REFRAIN

You thought the challenge would be the future,
Turned out all the obstacles were in the past.
I was the first, but I know you won't be last.
You'll never be the last.