SIN6LES

Loved going off in any direction I felt like with this collection. There’s no underlying cause or concept to what I produce. I explore sounds, textures, rhythms, grooves, harmonic and melodic ideas until I find the gold at the bottom of the pan. And then a track grows from there. I create what I want in this roll I’m playing. And if you like it, all the better.

1. A Life Less Ordinary

Hopeful positivity, that's the feeling I get from this track. The incredible Massive X by @nativeinstruments is at the center of this track. The core rhythmic figure came to me one night about 3AM (when many revelations do). The effects plug, Portal from @output was used extensively to bring heat to the track. Sponge Piano, from the extraordinary @poucherpendle (and Percy) at @sounddust1900 plays a central role in the piece as well. And then there's the atmosphere. I'm always playing around with atmosphere to give a track texture and depth. These elements come from everywhere.

2. Welcome to AI

This track started with magic from @moogsynthesizers DFAM—the most surprising sounds and grooves come out of nowhere, and I could play with this box all day long. The core bass lead line is a combination of @uheplugins‘ Zebra 2 and @nativeinstruments’ Massive X—these are shredded by the heat and edge that come from Thermal by @output. Diva from @uheplugins and the @buchlaeasel are key as well. TURN IT UP!

3. Signals

The opening figure and final dark distressed melodic line, created in @vcvrack, became the driving force behind this piece, inspiring everything that followed. Atmospherics from @uheplugins' Bazille, pads from @uheplugins’ Diva, bells from @nativeinstruments’ Massive X, and shimmering, glittering effects from @output‘s Portal.

4. Meople

MEOPLE leans heavily into techno—not my usual territory, but so much fun. The synths are all my usual suspects, @nativeinstruments' Massive X, @buchlaeasel, @moogsynthesizers Subharmonicon and DFAM, @uheplugins' Zebra2, Bazille and Diva. All these synths can be so deep, but @vcvrack might be the deepest, for me. With it you can travel down countless paths—it eats massive chunks of time, but man, is it worth it.

5. The Revelation

@vcvrack is at the center of this track, voicing many busy, overlapping ostinato patterns throughout, set in a deep, dark space. A lot of glittery, glitchy elements come and go. And then the revelation happens, in the slow moving chords. And everything becomes clear.

This track too, has an optimistic, hopeful feeling to it.

We all need hope, some more than others.

6. Quarter to 5

I wanted to keep this piece on the lighter, happier, uplifting side, kind of a finale for the series. Textural changes are throughout leading to a long build and a somewhat majestic climax. As with most of my tracks, this began with experimentation, creating key sounds which led to melodic/motivic ideas, unfolding into rhythmic, harmonic and textural ideas. The wide range of software and hardware synths and effects were all controlled through digital audio workstation Cubase.

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I feel quite good about this series of six singles. I think releasing them one-at-a-time might have allowed listeners time to focus on each piece individually. Throughout the process I created/discovered a lot of sounds, textures, effects and manipulations that evoked some sort of emotion. In trying to describe the backstory for each release, I started discovering other aspects to those pieces I hadn’t noticed before. Thought it was just about the process, the journey if you will, but it’s probably more about the looking back. (I’m rambling.)

I have no idea what’s next.

Cover art by Angelplasma