(2015) New Songs
Since the beginning of the year I have been consistently implementing my musical ideas.
Currently, my new studio mainly includes:
Hardware: Ableton Push2, Korg Karma, David Smith Prophet 12, Elektron Analog4, Korg Micro, Behringer 2000 Midi Controller, Novation Impulse Midi Controller
Software: Ableton Live Studio, Native Instruments Reaktor, Audio Mulch, MAX7
First result is the song EO
E and O are my initials (Olaf Erik). I used my new home studio for the first time on this song. I found it difficult to work strongly with the software-based systems (I come from the time of the analog module systems) to which one is forced by the push controller (at least as a beginner). Everything is programmed in Ableton, or recorded, all sounds from Ableton, partly specially purchased soundpacks. Also the sound synchronous visuals for the youtube clip are created by me.
The second song in 2015 (02-04.2015):
Slope
I was fascinated by the sound quality of the HANG Steelpan instruments. By chance, I discovered hang sounds’ sound library for Ableton Live and experimented with it. I have distanced myself from the pre-made patterns and created my own patterns with up to three HANG instruments. From the beginning I knew that this would not be enough for me, so for the song “Hang” I still created sounds and melodies with sampled wind instruments, the Korg Karma, Prophet12 and NI reactor.
In total, the song is about a 10 minute journey, just drop and experience.
The third song in 2015 (05-06.2015):
FAREWELL
This is a song dedicated to Edgar Froese, founding member of Tangerine Dream, who died recently. The song is multitrack sequenced a lot, instruments used are mainly Prophet 12 and NI Reactor for the pads and sequences, Korg Karma for the leads, Ableton Studio DAW for the mix and drums. The song elements refer a bit to TD, Jarre and Schulze.
The fourth song in 2015 (06-07.2015):
Q-CHORD
This is a track dedicated to the Omnichord Music Instrument by Suzuki. I did use the Q-Chord, which was manufactured in 2001 to supply all data via Midi to a Prophet12. The idea of this song is to bridge the time between the Q-Chord and the Prophet12. No data was changed in any way, the song is generated by the Q-Chord which you can hear with its original voices in the beginning and a bit at the very end. The Midi stream has been devided into various channels and voices, many voices are then Prophet12 sound multilayered.
I hope you got the idea and enjoy the song!
The fifth song in 2015 (10.2015):
Phased Music for 32 Instruments
I had long wanted to develop a piece of music about steve Reich’s phase shift principle.
For this I wrote a MAX 7 for Live application (starting from the great Maxpatch by Akihiko Matsumoto),
which in Ableton Live generates a musical phrase from 12 tones as a continuous loop and a second, identical phrase initially time-synchronous, is delayed a tiny bit each pass of the loop.
As a result, the second phrase shifts continuously in regards to the first phrase and interesting rythmic structures emerge as well as by overlaying the phrases also constantly other melody histories.
A phrase shift to the next (note) sound takes about 24 seconds.
The instruments play the first phrase and identical other instruments play the second phrase.
As instruments (a total of 32, all produced electronically) I use Grand Piano, Harp, Pizzikato Violin, Marimba, High and Deep Bells of various kinds and some synthetic choral and surface sounds.
Instruments were Ableton Live with Max, as well as Korg Karma for a few melodic and flat accents.
The piece is about 17’20” long, during this time the phrases shift continuously and the variety of individual instruments appear in groups and disappear again in order to reappear in a new grouping.
No Comments