Soniccouture - Bowed Piano

starting simple. i'm very out of practice with the modular (one of the driving forces behind restarting the diary series). starting simple and stress free. here a self-playing loop with the 4MS SWN going through a make noise QPAS and strymon Magneto. baby steps.

January 01, 2022 (swans)

HYPER-REAL by Comakid is a collection of flexible instruments, Drum Racks, and effects inspired by the maximalist sound design of hyperpop and the dense, hybrid fabric of contemporary reality. Play shapeshifting synths, craft elastic textures, or warp these sounds into something entirely new.

https://www.ableton.com/en/packs/hyper-real/

Released by:
Ableton

Release date:
28 June 2022

Get the Pack

Super Fictional by Comakid

a few soundscapes i've made with Luftrum's wonderful kontakt instrument Bioscape. i used customized samples: field recordings and synthesized sounds to create these immersive and surreal sound landscapes. https://www.luftrum.com/bioscape/

Bioscape Arovane Soundscapes

Dave Bessell Chromatic Lightning Cage DiN84

Release date 15th March 2024
Limited to 250 copies Digipak CD

This new release from synthesist Dave Bessell sees him completing a quartet of albums loosely based on the Greek philosophy of the Four Elements, namely Fire, Water, Earth and Air. There’s certainly no doubting that “Chromatic Lightning Cage” with its vivid cover is referencing Fire but this personal odyssey started with the concept of Water on his inaugural solo album, “Analogue” released in 2010. This was followed by “Black Horses Of The Sun” (DiN47) - Air, and “Reality Engine” (DiN62) - Earth.

Bessell has also released three collaborations with Parallel Worlds on the DiN imprint as well as being part of the synth supergroup Node. It is interesting that whilst the Berlin School inspired sequencer riffs of the latter dominate the soundstage Bessell largely eschews this approach on his own albums. Rather on this and his other DiN solo releases he explores interesting harmonic progressions with a series of interlocking delicate arpeggios. This is most evident on the opening track “After Hours” as well as the beautiful closing piece “Elegy”. Elsewhere Bessell blurs the line between guitar and synth using his stringed instruments as controllers for his modular systems. His music has always had an element of the soundtrack to it and this is certainly highlighted in the track “Ariel” which has a mystical, unearthly quality to its soundscapes. Bessell has noted that the ghosts of Amon Tobin and Nils Frahm wander through this album at times which is certainly an intriguing thought.

Always one to push the boundaries Bessell has included a QR code in the Bandcamp download version of the album that opens up an augmented reality vista from the cover image. Lovers of Electronica, Downtempo, Ambient and Soundtracks will find much to admire in “Chromatic Lightning Cage” and this new album once again showcases the unique talent of this highly individual musician.

 
 01 After Hours   05:43
02 Forest Under The Sea   03:41
03 Darkening Air   07:17
04 Dream Of The Red Chamber   07:10
05 Ariel   05:01
06 Unheimlich   08:36
07 Nightshade   08:55
08 Moths   09:34
09 Elegy   06:31

Total Time :  62:46

Chromatic Lightning Cage

Buy CD / Download

Chromatic Lightning Cage by Dave Bessell (DiN84) Demo Mix

Foley recordings, DIY instruments and unique percussive samples designed to infuse your productions with character and authenticity.

Download here

Lost and Found - Valma

Various Artists Tone Science Module No.9 Theories and Conjectures DiN:TS09

Release date 19th April 2024
Limited to 500 copies. Digipak CD format

Tone Science sub-label, from DiN records, continues to explore the world of modular synth music.

Following the success and critical acclaim of the first eight Tone Science compilation albums,  DiN label boss Ian Boddy has collated another nine tracks from musicians of varying backgrounds  working in the realms of modular synthesis.

As the Tone Science journey continues it never ceases to amaze just how varied and individualistic  each musicians work can be. Whilst the hardware is technologically based each artist teases out a reflection of their own musical personality.

This volume kicks off with two pointillistic compositions from Loula Yorke and State Azure with intertwining sequencer patterns flowing and coiling around to create ever changing soundscapes.

After this energetic start the next pair of tracks from Theda Electronic Music and Swansither enter calmer, ambient territory where careful sculpting of synthesiser voices creates room for expression and atmosphere.

The mid-point of the album sees Sulk Rooms take us into darker territory with a drone based piece that slowly climbs from the undergrowth like some great creature arising from its slumber.

The next three tracks from Tomorrow The Cure, JacqNoise and Alex Ball are rhythmically based and showcase just how different the feel and energy of music made with modular synths can be with pure tones, deep bass and transient blips respectively. 

Finally Michael J. York leads us gently into the distance with a beautiful, shimmering cocoon of  blissful sound to close out the album.

“Tone Science Module No.9 Theories and Conjectures” continues the journey down the rabbit hole of possibilities and sound worlds inhabited by artists and musicians working in this ever fascinating and varied musical field.

01 Eala by Loula Yorke   7:44
02 Scanner by State Azure   8:23
03 Per-Bast by Theda Electronic Music   7:24
04 Muad’Dib by Swansither   7:04
05 Grasping The Eye Of The Duck by Sulk Rooms   6:43
06 Minimum by Tomorrow The Cure   6:18
07 Lono by JacqNoise   5:51
08 Adaption by Alex Ball   6:23
09 And They Shall Have Stars by Michael J. York   6:20

Total Time: 62:28

Tone Science Module No.9 Theories and Conjectures

Buy CD / download

Tone Science Module No.9 Theories And Conjectures Demo Mix

A live stochastic experiment with four 
Yellow Jacket EDP Wasp synthesisers, 
a present from http://www.cherryaudio.com

Susurrus

Link to the video captured here in real-time: https://vimeo.com/150015591

Patch Notes:

This was a patch experiment using the new Mutable Instruments Rings/Clouds Modules, and trying to create strumming/plucking guitar like sounds within a patch. The inspiration came from playing around with the Clouds Parasites 1.3 alternate firmware running in the Resonator mode highlighting the "scatter" (or strum) function. The master clock was the Tiptop Circadian Rhythms module, taking the first 4 outputs into my Nord Drum 2 for the Kick, snare, closed and open hi-hats. From there the clock output from the CR was multiplied and then sent to the Modcan Touch Sequencer. First row output from the TS was sent to the intellijel Shapeshifter creating a two note baseline sequence that comes in at 1:58. The second sequence Row2 output from the TS was sent to the "ALM Akemie's Castle" module OSC A output using the chord function, that comes in at 25 seconds. The gates from the modcan where set to a 16th's pulse sequence. Modulation from the synthesis technology E102 Quad Temporal Shifter output 1 modulating the Multiplier input on Operator 1. The 2, 3 and 4 outputs from the E102 where also modulating the Operator 2, 3, and 4 inputs on the Akemie's Castle. This was creating the harmonic timbre changing as the sequence was playing.

The slowly evolving sweeping noise textures that come in at 1:09 is from the Music Thing Radio Music module. The sample was a white noise sampled lightly filtered and then sent to the intellijel HexVCA with the amplitude CV control via a Intellijel Dixie modulating from slow to high rates (free running). The Make Noise Rene was being externally clocked from the Circadian Rhythm, and was sending out a quantized output to the Mutable Instruments Clouds pitch input creating the chord guitar sequence. The strum sounds on Clouds was played by the 4ms QCD running in 32th division output into the Trigger input. The freeze input was also triggered by a Ladik R-110 Random clock module. The combination of the two created the trill chord like strums.

The bass guitar tone sound that comes in at 1:24 are from the MakeNoise Mysteron, that is being sequenced by the Modcan Touch Sequencer, Row Output 3 was programmed in the same key but a lower octave. The "Rings" module was creating slow attack soft high pitched chords in reverb that come around 2:50. There was additional processing of the Clouds output that was sent into the Tiptop ZDSP module running the "Halls of Vahalla" card program 8 "Ginnungagap" creating the high pitch octave deep reverb shimmer effects. The harmonic slow swells that come in at 3:30 where created using another intellijel Dixie oscillator sine output running into an Strymon "Big Sky" pedal being harmonically controlled by an intellijel µScale V1. The output was being played slowly then processed using the "Choral" mode, creating the slow shimmer swells. The entire mix was sent into the Eventide Space pedal using the "Corridors" patch.

Mutable Instruments Rings : mutable-instruments.net/modules/rings
Clouds Parasites firmware: mqtthiqs.github.io/parasites/clouds.html

Strum - Modular Patch

Soniccouture Bowed Piano - Xen 1

Soniccouture Bowed Piano - Cascade

Soniccouture Bowed Piano - Olympus

Soniccouture Bowed Piano - Scrapin'

Soniccouture Bowed Piano - 9 Lines

Liana

Drum Booth - EST

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Soniccouture Bowed Piano - Xen 1

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