I helped a guy a long time ago on the Abe forum to try and recreate a certain synth sound, and apparently kept working on it a bit more. Someone bumped the post and I wondered if I still had the project file. Yepo - On top of that, apparently I kept making a little bit of music with my original 1 bar example, and it was a pleasant surprise to open. So I thought -- screw it, it should be exported!

L9 2012 12 04 - synthing

You want a fish?

I was working on a track for a "make a track in the style of what you listened to growing up."

After way too many attempts at really bad house and breakbeats, trying to replicate the special sauce of Crystal Method, Fatboy Slim, Prodigy, Chemical Brothers, and so many others, I gave up and just jammed a simple piano and sub bass. Because of the time crunch, I only put about an hour into it -- but I strongly felt the need to finish a track and submit by the deadline. I need to accept that it takes lots of hours of bad music to make something inspiring and decent -- and I also need to allow myself to finalize the decision making process, and just flat out allow a song to be called finished, even if I keep hearing ways it can improve.

This track for instance, needs more ambient whoosh sounds (think old skool Faithless, Sunday 8 pm) and quite a bit more, but I'm out of time, and need to call it finished. Vocals would be really cool as well... le sigh.

Comfort In An Ice Cavern

I started this track to submit it for a collaboration challenge where we were to try and make something inspired by the music you were growing up with while getting into EDM. In the 90s I remember digging Crystal Method, Faithless, BT, Sasha and Digweed, Chemical Brothers, Fatboy Slim -- all the obvious ones, right? 

Originally this file started as an experiment in synth design to get a Crystal Method sound. You know the one: sample and hold filter on their Oscar from the days of Keep Hope Alive. I just couldn't get it to stick! I kept messing around, making bad techno, and eventually gave up on this track entirely. That night I started and finished "Comfort in an Ice Cavern" which seems to have given me the ability to see this track in a new light. Sometimes that's just what the brain needs -- a total reboot. When I came back to this track the next day, the ideas were rushing in faster than I could capture them.

I used FXPansion's DCAM Strobe for most of the juicy synth lines, and Ableton Analog for the more twinkly sounds. The main break used is a sample that I cut up and modified a little bit, with a Ableton's 909 kit backing it up.

After working with it over the next day or two, I decided I needed to wrap it up and publish it, so I could mark another notch -- even if it's not perfect. I'm only just lately learning that the more often you allow yourself to finish music, the easier it becomes to make and finish it the next time. It's all about allowing yourself to make decisions and accept them. 

The mixing was done in my bass-heavy headphones, and a test listen done on my iMac speakers to make sure it didn't sound insane on lower end speakers. Because of this, the low end may still be out of control, as I haven't been able to test it against proper monitors.

Lucas Donahue often said, "Artwork is Transient." It's important to accept that, otherwise art can never be finished.

Redwood

lol. The song took a turn (for the better?)

Hustler (Rainy House Remix)

The 2023 Annual Birthday Beataroni

boots n cats n boots ncats.

It's a club for cats.

I needed some lulz.

boots n cats.

Remix of Horse Noises from Awful Music Dance Party by Mr. Tim.
Original can be heard at www.myspace.com/awfulmusicdanceparty

Horse Noises (Mr. Tim Borkt Mix)

2015 11 22 testing sampling

old bass and new bass -- ignore the bad transition for now.

2016 02 18 Funkerman 122 Bass 1 And 2

Weekly mix trial using "Ghetto Superstar" sample. Hints of garage, bass house, and too much 808. Haven't heard it much outside of headphones, so there is sure to be a lot of low-end collision. Might take a stab at mixing it better when I am using proper monitors.

Mr. Tim

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