Drum n Bass influenced track created as a group project with two colleagues. Makes prominent use of NI's Massive and Kore Player, as well as a plethora of guitar, voice and djembe samples we recorded in the studio.
Produced using Logic Pro 9.

Which Seat Can I Take? (Audio Processing Semester 2)

Straightforward, chilled dub reggae track inspired by King Tubby. This was produced in Cubase 4 with two colleagues as part of my first university group assignment.

The track makes particular use of automated delay effects to build space and rhythmic variation. A lot of the production time involved finding ways of spicing up our relatively simple musical arrangement with some creative effects processes and EQ.

Dubbidot (Audio Processing Semester 1)

Final master of a rock track recorded with two colleagues and produced to meet the same standards of audio quality found in commercial music releases. 

The track was the result of a number of long recording and mixing sessions. We experimented with a variation of mic'ing techniques, making particular use of the AKG C414 due to its excellent frequency response and its versatility in selectable polar patterns. The AKG D112 and SM57 were amongst others we used.

It was recorded in Pro Tools 9 through an SSL AWS 900 SE hybrid desk. The track was mixed largely within Pro Tools, with the desk in digital mode, although a hardware compressor and outboard reverb were used toward the end of the production process. Advanced editing techniques such as Elastic Audio, pitch correction and dense vocal layering were employed throughout.

Much of the early sessions involved getting to grips with the complex but flexible workflow of the SSL desk itself.

Layla Cover (Commercial Recording Management)

Experiment aiming to create a "learning" pianist in realtime with Max/MSP using second-order markov chains. It was produced as part of my dissertation. The patch interprets loose chord progressions and melodies that I play in via MIDI keyboard, and gathers the note values to fill a transition table.

Rhythms trigger the markov chain and from that, the patch attempts to mimic my playing by generating chord sequences and melodies in a similar vein. This not only creates a virtual duet partner but hopefully presents a form of algorithmic music with a more human touch. In addition, the patch analyses rhythms that are played and uses them to generate percussive sequences of clicks, crackles and pops to accompany the pianos.

This is a proof-of-concept recording - almost a jam of sorts - being both fairly loose and instrumentally very simple. I think I managed to make this work sonically by steering it toward a kind of Harold Budd-cum-Tim Hecker aesthetic. The first 2 minutes or so are slow to pick up momentum but 2:30-6:00ish worked out very nicely and builds a surprisingly cohesive musical narrative.

SemiGen (Rough Experiment)

Raw recording of a rehearsal for a 25-minute live performance of original ambient music. Created in collaboration with a colleague.

Not entirely polished but demonstrates lots of thematic sound design using field recordings, guitar, feedback loops and various synths. Programmed and performed using Max/MSP and Ableton Live with aid of electric guitar. A bulk of the performance was built around the guitarist improvising on a theme, while I route the guitar's signal through effects matrices to construct elaborate soundscapes.

The project also served as a prelude to my dissertation work, containing a few generative composition elements. As well as the two human performers, a section of the Max/MSP patch triggers musical events by itself through audio analysis and conditional arguments.

Live Rehearsal (Digital Performance Applications)

Expansive orchestral/electronic composition mixing elements of contemporary film score, electroacoustic music and Reich-esque minimalism. It was produced in Cubase 5 as part of a Creative Music Design module to explore unconventional composition styles.

Initially inspired by the pulse idea behind Reich's "Music for 18 Musicians", the piece began as an exercise in tieing a composition together with an omnipresent pulse or "oscillation" element, although it very quickly evolved into something much more multifaceted. Nontheless, the oscillation is still present throughout much of the piece in various forms.

I also used this composition as a platform to try out Spitfire's fantastic Albion library and layered it with Kontakt's own factory library to build rich-sounding string arrangements. There are also a couple of sections in this that feature heavily processed, atonal string samples and bow hits etc, making the piece not only an exploration of the string section in terms of melody and harmony, but also texturally.

Oscillations (Creative Music Design)

An ambient/electroacoustic composition produced as part of my dissertation. It is the result of a patch programmed in Max/MSP which autonomously generates indeterminate music and pipes the resultant MIDI data into Ableton Live. 

The patch works using a combination of classic composition algorithms (such as real-world data mapping, life simulation and random number sequences constrained by conditional arguments) to control individual sound parameters, as well as broader variables such as overall pitch and density (inspired by Xenakis).

The piece is predominantly texture-based and as such makes heavy use of evolving pads and granular synthesis. The recording is just one example of the endless variations the patch can generate. If necessary the patch can generate music indefinitely, meaning it could be adapted into an art installation-type environment.

Generate - Unmastered Version (Dissertation)

I am a BSc (Hons) Creative Music Technology graduate and audio professional. I have a solid academic foundation in traditional music, music technology and practical studio experience. I have also been involved with composition and sound design, and have had my music released digitally.

nlllund