"In philosophy, systems theory, science, and art, emergence is the way complex systems and patterns arise out of a multiplicity of relatively simple interactions." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emergence

This EP is a compilation of largely self-generative works created using a Eurorack-format modular synth. The tracks "Focus Reset Scan", "Beltway 2024", and "Saturnide Tides" were entirely self-generative, with no human intervention during recording. Other tracks involved only minimal human intervention.

All tracks were recorded in one take, with no multi-tracking, editing, or external sequencing or processing, bar some reverb from an Eventide FX pedal on "Beltway 2024" and "Atomic Edgar".

The tracks were inspired partly by theories of artificial intelligence and how consciousness might emerge in unexpected places that are explored in Brian Christian's book "The Most Human Human": http://brchristian.com

The "Emergent Properties" EP is also available to download at Bandcamp: http://drberndthoffmann.bandcamp.com/album/emergent-properties-ep

Emergent Properties EP

Two radically different alien species converge on Heathrow Terminal 5 in the year 2024.

Influences: 36, Abul Mogard, clock radio speakers, "Essence" by Blame & Justice, Horus Heresy, Paysage D'Hiver, Purcell, Stalker, Vladislav Delay.

All tracks were recorded on a modular synth one take, with no multi-tracking, editing, or external sequencing or processing, bar some light EQ.

Buy at Bandcamp

Arrivals EP

All tracks recorded on a modular synth one take, with no multi-tracking, editing, or external sequencing or processing, bar some compression.

Astral Wave Functions

Kingdom Sands EP

Some molten modular-synth dub harnessing the fantastic subtleties (and not-so-subtleties) that arise from the interactions of some of my favourite modules: the Erthenvar Patch Chord, the Cwejman RES-4, the Tiptop Audio Z-DSP and the Harvestman Malgorithm MkII.

Saturnine Tides

100% eurorack modular synth-only, no external sequencing or processing.

Aldaron Sloth

Horrifically busy time at work has kept me away from the modular. Glad to be back. 100% modular synth, no external sequencing or processing. One take

Asphodel's Lament

First track on my new EP "Emergent Properties". 

More info here: http://drberndthoffmann.bandcamp.com/album/emergent-properties-ep

Focus Reset Scan

Dr Berndt Hoffmann - Arrivals EP - 04 2D Medi Ohn

Dr Berndt Hoffmann - Arrivals EP - 03 ARX Arpanoid

Dr Berndt Hoffmann - Arrivals EP - 02 Lakrom IV

Dr Berndt Hoffmann - Arrivals EP - 01 Exultor V0e-

rcbm 9.2

rcbm 3.4

rcbm 4.2

rcbm 5.6

"The low sun glowed yellow-green over the frosted plains. At the mouth of the caves, priests struck ancient rock gongs, their worn and scarred appearance seemingly at odds with their purity of tone. Drones beamed pulses at sacred points of resonance so that coded harmonics might echo and resound. Occasionally, a player would strike a discordant note to signal their ambivalence to the passing of the season, to the passing of time."

Quasi-autonomous percussive dub-dronalism for the stranded descendants on long-abandoned terraformed worlds. All performed by my eurorack modular synth in one take, with no human intervention, external sequencing or processing, bar some light dynamics in Ableton and Audacity. 

The creation and replay of these long and repetitive, yet endlessly subtley varying, generative works bring me peace and calm. Hence making this track available to stream here and as a free or pay what-you-want download at Bandcamp: https://drberndthoffmann.bandcamp.com/track/solstice-on-eisplann-iv 

All proceeds from Bandcamp sales will go to the Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM), a charity uniting the UK against suicide: https://www.thecalmzone.net/

Solstice on Eisplann IV

Felt the need for something more raw. (And yes, I have been listening to a lot of Yellow Swans recently).

Nothing Good

First (moderately) successful self-generating patch in absolutely ages... All Eurorack modular synth, no external sequencing or processing. 

Axion Sled

Inspired by one of my all-time musical heroes, Stefan Betke aka Pole.  

Largely modular synth-only, no external processing or sequencing, bar a little bit of reverb and compression from Amplitude on the iPad. 

Song for Stefan

Live modular synth freakout with my 67 year-old dad on guitar. 

Guitars aren't my thing and synths certainly aren't his (he's more of a Shadows man), but we found some Krautrock-ish middle ground.

Pretty simple patch and downright terrible mixing, but my mum and dad only popped in for a cup of tea, so I hope you can look past it!

Vater rock

First patch with my new Erthenvar Patch Cord - and f@%k me, if it's not one of the best tracks I've ever made!*

As usual, modular synth-only, no external sequencing or processing, apart from the totally incredible Eventide Space reverb pedal.

Probably overdid it running the Space with all dials set to 11, but I couldn't help myself! 

*in my humble opinion...

Specimen acquisition

Really struggled this weekend. Nothing seemed right...

Eurorack modular synth-only, except for some reverb from my Eventide Space.

Ruins

The Sentinel waits...

Eurorack modular-synth, no external sequencing or processing, apart from some Dynaverb from the mighty Eventide Space.

Sentinel

Been watching too many British horror films of late...

Eurorack modular synth-only, no external sequencing or processing. 

Tidal ritual

Fenn dreams...

Eurorack modular synth-only, no external sequencing or processing, bar some reverb from my Eventide Space pedal. 

Waterlands

Fun with dynamics and digital clipping.

Eurorack modular synth-only, no external sequencing or processing bar some Dynaverb from my Eventide Space. 

Flies

Don't know why I'm uploading this one...



Acetate

Eurorack modular synth-only, no external processing or sequencing.

Carp life

A study in subsonics...

Eurorack modular synth.

Vault

A Eurorack modular-synth track I made around the time of Parhelion Clouds. 

For some reason, I wasn't that keen on it at the time - too conventional perhaps, when I was just starting out with the modular. 

As usual, all modular, no computers...

Tabla robo-don

I'm using the release of my second album, The Dark Light, http://drberndthoffmann.bandcamp.com/album/the-dark-light (plug, plug!) to draw a line under certain practices I'd got too comfortable with, namely the (over)use of delay and reverb. 

So, this is my first attempt to return to sound design without those crutches. As usual, Eurorack modular synth-only, no external processing or sequencing, but this time without heavy use of the Eventide Space or ZDSP delays. 

I hope you like my new direction... As always, feedback is welcomed and encouraged!

PS. Apologies for not listening to the tracks of the many people I follow recently; I've been working round the clock as of late, hence why my many of my recent tracks have been sketches rather than fully formed compositions.  



Antarran skiff

A little post-holiday patch. 

Still sticking to my no-reverb-no-delays rule, but arguably cheating by using a clocked down stereo resonator on the ZDSP, which creates a delay/reverb-like effect. 

Eurorack modular synth-only, no computers.  

Memory cubes

Watch your bassbins, I'm telling ya...

The latest in my series of no-reverb-no-delay tracks. This time with a dubby feel. The bass is pretty heavy, so be carfeul with your speakers!

100% Eurorack modular synth, no computers or external effects. 

Kingdom sands

Ok, so I broke my self-imposed rule about not using reverb... 

But I can forgive myself as I used it in a new way for me, with multiple feedback loops and mult'ed signal paths. 

As always, sounds generated and sequenced by Eurorack modular synth. That said, I accidentally multitracked while recording, so you're actually hearing two performances of the same patch layered. 

So, it's a bit of a mess, but a good mess, maybe....

Iridium cell

The centrepiece of this track is a patch built around using a combination of noise, sequencing and the Toppobrillo Quantimator's analogue shift register mode to phase distort different channels of the WMD in different, but related/chaotic, but ordered ways. 

Clearly, I've returned to using my old favourite Dynaverb from my Eventide Space reverb pedal, but apart from that, this track was created, generated and performed entirely with only my Eurorack modular synth, no external processing or sequencing. 
 
 


The 644

A short experiment in max/minimalism using Doepfer's A-172 Max/Min modular synth module.

Motors

Implanted memories of a winter walk on a deserted beach...

100% eurorack modular synth, no computers or samples. No reverb or delay, just waves, filters, a bit crusher and a frequency shifter. 

Available as a name-your-price download as part of the "Kingdom Sands" EP: http://drberndthoffmann.bandcamp.com/album/kingdom-sands-ep-2

Noordhoek

Following my no-reverb-no-delay period, I want to concentrate on largely self-generating patches focused more on tone generation than glitchiness. 

This track was the best bit of 45mins or so of recording with no knob-twiddling or any other intervention from me. 

As usual, 100% eurorack-modular-synth, no external sequencing or processing, bar a generous amount of reverb from my Eventide Space pedal.

PS. feedback would be most welcome - as with the last couple of weeks I will soon be away from my modular in various bland hotels in Europe...

To know people are listening to my music would cheer me up greatly!

The delta configuration

I've been wanting to create something like this for a while - a patch that combines new(ish) rave-type sounds with "old" East Coast synthesis.

So, here you have Detroit-type sounds from the Erthenvar Patch Chord being processed through a pinged Cwejman RES-4 quad-resonator and Make Noise Optomix low-pass gates and some compressed/mashed dub delay/reverb from a Tiptop Audio Z-DSP and Eventide Space.

Recorded (in one take) in a bit of a rush - was late for meeting a friend. All sounds created and sequenced within my Eurorack modular synth, bar the reverb from my Eventide Space.

Hope you like it!

Lab trials

Just a subtle self-generating modular synth...

Dialithic suspension

Another 100% generative modular-synth patch (bar some Eventide Reverb), no human intervention.

Beltway 2024

I've been sitting on this for a while, half thinking it could form part of a project I'm working on, but have realised that it will work best as the second in a "Inner lives of construction droids" series that starts with "Atomic Edgar": https://soundcloud.com/drberndthoffmann/atomic-edgar 100% Eurorack modular synth, no external sequencing or processing. 


4D Krone MkV

I threw my computer out of the window and bought a modular synth because I wanted to do something real...

"Emergent Properties" EP https://soundcloud.com/drberndthoffmann/sets/emergent-ep
"Onkalo" EP: http://drberndthoffmann.bandcamp.com/album/onkalo-ep
"Kingdom Sands" EP: http://drberndthoffmann.bandcamp.com/album/kingdom-sands-ep-2
"The Dark Light" album: http://drberndthoffmann.bandcamp.com/album/the-dark-light
"Taikonics" mini-album: http://drberndthoffmann.bandcamp.com/album/taikonics

Dr Berndt Hoffmann

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