I started with a simple subtractive virtual analog synth tone, aiming to get a sound similar to the Moog on "Shine On You Crazy Diamond." I made one track a bass pedal tone and the other a midrange lead in a small room. Harmonically, I worked around a minor 6 11 chord, adding more upper partials here and there and exploring the triads they form. I thought of Angelo Badalamenti's soundtrack to Twin Peaks as I improvised. For the springy-sounding synth I used an 8-bit square wave with a descending pitch sweep, adding a flanger with auto-pan and reverb on top. The final voice started with a modular synth tone with the modulation wheel set to manipulate harmonics in real time. I also sent it through an autowah and automated the voicing after the fact. I decided to play using chromodal scales-- a melody moving around the circle of fifths in different patterns and sometimes breaking the cycle by one set interval. I went through several intervals(modes in a way) before coming back to the fundamental.

The Red Room

Joshua Elbaum-- Live in Santa Cruz

Splash

Keys: Raquel Bell

Drums: Jared Marshall

Art: Raquel Bell

Splash

This was a soundtrack I did for a silent film featuring a woman chasing her reflection. And creepy little turtles. When I asked what he wanted, the recording engineer replied this: Dark beautiful spaced out baby. Black & White. Addicted and dangerous. But soft and beautiful at the same time

Tyden Binsted