Tag Archive for: electronic music

Music Discussion: Iridescent by Pugilist & Pod

/in /by

This post marks the beginning of a new type of blog article. I’ve been missing the days when music journalists would take the time to listen and come up with an article about albums or songs. For musicians, getting validation is not something that can quickly be done. Some find it through being signed to a label, but even then, it doesn’t fill that need, primarily because of a lack of significative appreciation. One can appreciate your music, but does that mean the song is well-produced?

With the ever-coming release announcements, finding music we can relate to becomes harder. As an artist, there was a period when you’d find music in batches for a genre, and it would take a moment to create a new bunch. This would leave you time to appreciate and digest it. Nowadays, there is constant work to do, digging through the waves of published music and checking an artist’s back catalogue or a label to find more of a specific sound you can appreciate.

As an audio engineer, label owner and artist, I often feel overwhelmed by the music I’m exposed to. Some music I find fascinating is not getting any attention, while some music that gets all the media press leaves me unimpressed. What do I love in the end?

I decided to team up with my partner Jan (somebody3lse), who’s constantly digging and unearthing gems, exposing me to music that is not exactly what I would listen to at first but that I always appreciate. We decided to open music discussions on songs we like. I never understood why the media would negatively review some music; I feel it is missing the chance to expose us to music that needs to be heard, and while one person might not like an album, why do I need to hear about it? It’s not like they’re saving me from an eminent problem.

We also don’t feel like we want to do reviews, but more likely, open conversation about music we like from two different angles: from a DJ’s point of view vs an audio engineer/producer.

In 2024, we started an event in Montreal named Sweet Spot, where we’d invite artists to share a song they made to have a real-time feedback experience from people who would listen to it in a very attentive approach. The idea is also to give the artist a moment to share their knowledge of making the song so that non-producers can raise awareness towards that reality.

These days, when Spotify is abusing artists’ reality, and people are still using it, perhaps there’s a disconnection between the two realities. Somewhat similar to people buying clothes made by people who are making them in slave conditions; if we were closer to those sweatshops, we’d care more.

That was my long introduction to why I’m starting a new branch of posts on my blog. TLDR;

  • Opening conversation about music we love.
  • Give some artists a nudge of appreciation.
  • Bring back honest discussions and descriptions about music instead of generic promo texts.

 

Our first post.

 

Iridescent by Pugilist & Pod

 

Words by somebody3lse:

Iridescent is the title track from a debut collaborative LP by Australian producers Pugilist & Pod released in November 2024.  I chose this track to share with Pheek because it’s a bit different to what I usually play and I wanted to step outside each of our comfort zones to explore something new.  As a downtempo track its a lot slower than the majority of music I play for others.

There is a clear intention from the start, with a percussive movement joined by the kick after 16 bars. From a technical perspective I appreciate the definite intro that allows me to beat match. I feel a warmth in the dub sounds and a gentle drive giving energy and direction.

It builds into a transition point around 3 minutes, where the mood changes and takes on more of an edge. A metallic call that feels like a submarine alarm brings some urgency and shifts the pace. Just before the 5-minute mark, we lose percussion and get lost in a swirling underwater tide. When the kick comes back, it’s more metallic and feels like we’ve been scooped back up out of the ocean again.

The intensity decreases over the last minute or so, which makes for a smooth transition. It also breaks down elements that would close out a set nicely.

It is very well-phased and structured, not in an obvious way, making for a track that is kind to the DJ playing it.  I would love more opportunities to play slower, more expressive music like this.  I can imagine this played at a festival with the sun rising at an alternative stage where people seek refuge from the intensity of it all.

 

Pheek’s view (transcript from audio):

 

The texture starts cold to me regarding sounds, which I have a different feel than somebody3lse, and I wouldn’t be surprised if this artist used the Elektron, the same machine I have. I could recognize the effect. So this is where I’m getting nerdy a little bit. I could hear that, and it was distracting me. As a producer, my mind constantly goes from listening to trying to understand how it was made. If I pinpoint how it was made, my mind relaxes a bit.

Anyway, the song felt nice because it was inspiring, and I liked it overall; I loved the track and bought it right after the first listen. Initially, I thought the arrangements were unsettling as I was a bit thrown off because he was using three voices, which is a bit of a risk. When you build a song, you start with your three voices; it can be challenging to keep them engaging. But the way he morphed and made the sound evolve, and alternate is very clever and flows well. It’s hypnotizing, and I like arrangements to be that way. I felt that the sounds were crunchy, but the stereo didn’t feel wide; it didn’t feel like it was open, but the frontal density worked as is, too. I guess it’s typical of that genre.

Some sounds fell before me, metallic and like those of Transformers. Moving and shaping are repetitive but constantly changing at the same time. It made it pleasant. The pace is slow and takes time; this is a slow tempo but intense mood. That’s not easy to execute in production because you might be tempted to go in one direction or another, resulting in flat results or overwhelming. They nailed the balance just right. Finding the right moment to play that kind of music as a DJ can also be challenging.

By the end, I couldn’t grasp an evident emotion out of it except for maybe something dark and mischievous but not in a playful way. It felt like there was a bit of danger or uneasiness. My synesthesia was not really triggered, but it doesn’t mean it’s bad or anything. Sometimes, when I hear music like that, I see geographic shapes and textures but in this case, it felt more like images, but blurry.

 

Conclusion:

We love this song because it’s well-crafted and builds energy, even if it’s slow. There’s a journey where we feel the direction is clear, and the journey to get there is emotive. The textures and sound design are lovely and aligned with our tastes because of the engaging craft put into them.

We’ve been thinking of making this into a podcast. Would this be something you’d be interested in?

 

Ableton MIDI Tools And Workflow Optimization

/in /by

Whatever your level of mastery of Ableton Live is, you might have occasionally seen some advanced tutorials on YouTube and wondered if these were for you. While I will cover some of the advanced techniques I use below, I want to introduce the topic of what advanced techniques are and why you’d like to use them. It’s one thing to be interested in them, but sometimes, simple might be even more powerful than something advanced and complicated unless you want to do something complicated.

Whenever I have students who ask about advanced techniques, we always end up in a rabbit hole conversation about what is advanced in the first place or why one would want to use that. We talk about ambient music, IDM, EDM, or music that seems to be advanced. The thing is, techniques are always divided into categories, and that’s where it all begins.

  • Live performance.
  • Arrangements.
  • Sound Design.
  • Mixing.

While music production is a non-linear series of phases that go round and round, you initially use a technique to replicate a specific effect/sound or solve a roadblock. To know which technique you want or need to use, you’ll first need to be able to name the issue you’re facing. That might be difficult because sometimes, we don’t even know we have an issue.

 

Circular learning Instead of Linear

 

One of the issues many students who work with me have faced with traditional learning or online classes is that they use a linear approach to teaching and a mono-directional state of lesson sharing. The linear approach is basically like cooking, where you follow steps on the how-to with a result at the end. This issue in electronic music-making is that experiences are more like a tree of possibilities than a unique result. Think of a tree as an entity with multiple roots merging into a core and expanding in multiple branches. It’s the same with music: your roots come from various spaces, and your future should lean towards a wide expansion of possibilities instead of a one-directional place.

Mono-directional lessons mean that you receive information and then apply it. I don’t believe in that method so much because I’m curious, always wanting to know more. Curiosity is one of the most important traits for learning electronic music. I prefer a bi-directional method, which means I will get to know the student, where he’s coming from, how he learns and where he wants to go.

The approach we use is circular when it comes to learning, and it is mainly about understanding the roadblocks and then using strategies to overcome them. This will lead to explore techniques.

Notes from a private class I gave. Working, learning in a circular motion.

As you can see, we start by keeping the student in a state of flow, but when they encounter a roadblock, we have a strategy for finding solutions within an approach.

Now, let’s see how some techniques will work for them.

Problem Solving and Fixing them

 

It’s one thing to encounter technical difficulties, but it’s another thing to face technical limitations. Sometimes, you don’t know that you don’t know there is a problem, and that’s tricky. In teaching, passing all the knowledge to a student never proved to work. One of the best ways to learn is to start making a song, a miniature or a little live experiment.

As Live came to 2024 with a new version (12), one of the first things that came to my attention was how the whole midi section evolved with the direct implementation of max patches within the clip’s properties. Not long after the new version was out, two developers proposed a series of advanced tools, and I’ll explain below some of the potential issues they’re covering.

 

MIDI Tools by Phillip Meyer

The first one that piqued my curiosity was Phillip’s MIDI Tools collection. As the name states, it’s a collection of MIDI-oriented tools divided into two categories.

The categories are new in Live 12. They consist of containers that transform signals or create new ideas. This approach is similar to modular synths, where you have sources and modifiers. So, it is not alien to anyone who comes from that world. It was like that in version 11, but it was not explained in that fashion.

In a way, the new version of Live goes to its roots: playing live.

The tools Meyer offers are numerous. Here they are and what they do.

 

Blocks

Blocks

Category: Generator

What it does: Mainly used for rhythmical generation. Creating abnormal patterns in an unusual way

What issue it can help with: Breaking your percussion habits, making breakbeats or strange beats. Useful for breaking writer’s block.

I think this one is my favourite. You say how many beats or notes you want and then play with the sliders. Depending on the position given, the notes will be placed proportionally. It’s not euclidean sequencing; it’s a logic of its own.

 

 

 

Phase Pattern

Category: Generator

What it does: Creates sequences logarithmically.

What issue it can help with: It can create a bouncing ball effect, meaning that beats can take speed or change halfway. This is useful for breaks, transitions, effects, and rolls.

This one is fun. It is a good way to create elastic-sounding patterns where things speed up, and it can also be a way to change pace during a song.

 

 

 

 

 

Turing Machine

Category: Generator

What it does: Emulates what the Turing machine does in the modular world.

What issue it can help with: Coming up with new melodies and patterns. It is excellent for breaking writer’s block or providing complementary, supportive ideas.

If you’re unfamiliar with what the Turing machine does, I’d encourage you to look at this. It’s a system invented by Allan Turing during WWII to decypher the Nazi codes. Now, we can use it to generate sequences, melodies or patterns.

 

 

 

Polyrhythm

Category: Generator

What it does: Makes multiple patterns at once.

What issue it can help with: Making complex sequences, percussive or melodic.

If you’re unfamiliar with polyrhythms, I would encourage you to look into this. Basically, polyrhythms are a way of programming patterns that aren’t the same length, making the sequence non-linear and not always falling under the same loop. It can have a hypnotic effect and confuse people about where an idea starts and ends, typical in African percussion. This generator uses Euclidean algorithms to create its sequences.

 

 

 

 

Condition

Category: Transformer

What it does: It takes an idea, and it can propose alternatives upon certain conditions.

What issue it can help with: Finding different variations for a sequence.

Why settle on an idea when you can have unlimited alternatives and choose the best for your arrangements? This transformer will do exactly this.

 

 

Develop

Category: Transformer

What it does: Similar to condition but time-related. It takes an initial idea and then develops it, fades it out gradually. See it as an intelligent note-enhancing tool.

What issue it can help with: It can be a good way to develop an idea unexpectedly.

This one is similar to the conditions. It works well in the Arrangement section, where you take an idea and then see multiple ideas evolve from an initial idea. It’s not condition-based but more of a way to have an idea evolve.

 

Divs

Category: Transformer

What it does: It takes a note and subdivides it.

What issue it can help with: it’s not a problem that it fixes, but it makes ratcheting out of anything.

This technique has been popular with Trap lately. It is made as a buddy for the Blocks tool.

 

 

Draw

Category: Transformer

What it does: Gives a melody to pattern or life in different ways

What issue it can help with: Turn a sequence you generated into a melody. You can easily draw pitch or other characteristics and see how it goes.

It is a spontaneous way to create melodies and transform quick patterns into something else, automatically giving them a second life.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pattern Transform

Category: transformer

What it does: Take a pattern and, upon certain rules, revise melodies and make decisions for you.

What issue it can help with: Slight modifications to a hook can help you create alternatives for other sections of your song.

See it as a condition-based decision-making assistant.

 

Segments

Category: transformer

What it does: Subdivise a note, but it is condition-based.

What issue it can help with: Similar to Divs but with an approach similar to condition.

Ideal for complex IDM micro glitch patterns.

 

 

Feel

Category: transformer

What it does: It’s a humanizer.

What issue it can help with: To break from a robotic, stiff sequence and induce it with a swing and a human fee.

 

 

Shift

Category: transformer

What it does: Take a pattern and then shift it around, either pitch, duration, velocity, etc.

What issue it can help with: Useful for having variations on a sequence or to test the shift of its characteristics across a loop.

 

 

 

 

 

These tools are what I would call a good selection of roadblock removers. They’re not basic, but anyone can use them, and with a bit of patience, they can provide solid ideas or help move forward to variations.

I would say they’re part of my essentials.

Your Music Direction Coming From Your Community

/in , /by

The music industry, and more specifically the electronic music scene, has always thrived on the synergy between its creators and listeners. As an electronic music producer myself, I’ve come to realize that one’s journey to success often lies in understanding the pulse of the community. But what does that mean for the artists who feel disconnected, or those who gravitate towards genres with limited local support? Let’s delve into the heart of music communities and how they shape an artist’s journey.

 

The Role of Community in an Artist’s Growth

 

Having spent considerable time producing music and interacting with fellow musicians, a pattern emerges. Those producers who are part of an active music community tend to climb the ladder of success faster and more organically. It’s not just about having people to network with, but also about receiving immediate feedback, understanding what works and what doesn’t, and drawing inspiration from communal energy.

When you are plugged into a community, it’s akin to having your fingers on the pulse of the music you love. You not only learn about the intricacies of the genre but also understand what the audience desires. The shared knowledge and insights from a group of like-minded individuals can often be the difference between a track that falls flat and one that resonates deeply.

In my case, I quickly found my community of people loving the same music as me and got lucky there were events where everyone could meet. It was easy to connect and I felt quickly involved to it. One of the strength of this early boost was that I could present my music easily and got bookings organically. Nowadays I see people contacting venues for bookings but if you’ve never been to the venue, you will not know of it’s culture and direction. Going there is very important so you’ve seen and to see if the attendees are in the same mentality as yourself. There’s nothing more hard to play a gig where people don’t get what you do.

As I toured, I discovered bubbles of people in each city that reminded me of my local community. Even physically, I’d meet someone who reminded me of someone back home.

 

The Challenge of Non-Local Genres

 

But what about those producers who are passionate about a genre that isn’t prominent in their local surroundings?

Many artists look outward, connecting with labels or online groups that share their passion. While the internet has bridged many gaps, online connections often lack the depth and warmth of personal interactions. The very nature of digital communication can sometimes render these relationships impersonal.

There are people who live in smaller towns or aren’t close to a bigger city and this can be challenging because locally, there might be no chances of creating a community. How does this work?

Artists may produce exceptional tracks, but the age-old adage holds: people tend to support who they know. A community can sometimes be hesitant to welcome outsiders. This protective approach is natural, but it can inadvertently close doors for new talents who could have infused fresh perspectives and sounds. No need to think of labels who receive music from people they never heard of and those people expect them to reply. In the best of worlds, this would happen but in reality, this doesn’t happen much. It leaves artists confused.

So for people who aren’t well musically supported, there are multiple choices possible. One of them is to try to go to the closest place where there are events and a community to enjoy it as well as the music. Eventually you may find your role and space in that tribe. Then afterwards, using online communication tools maintain contact.

Let’s not forget that building your own local network and community is possible but can be challenging at first.

 

The DJ Solution

 

In such scenarios, one strategy that I’ve seen work is reaching out to DJs.

Why DJs?

Because they hold the power to introduce new tracks to an eager audience. DJs are always on the lookout for the next standout track, and they can be instrumental in helping an outsider’s music get the recognition it deserves. Having a DJ play your music can be the perfect bridge between the artist and a new community. You could also do the same with local restaurants or boutiques where you can ask them to play your music sometimes, but of course, you’ll need to do that in person after showing you care about their place and music tastes.

Also DJs love music for podcasts and that is a good way to breakthrough to a new bubble of people.

 

Building Inclusive Communities for a Vibrant Future

 

As we discuss communities and their importance, it’s also essential to talk about inclusivity. While protecting the integrity of a community is necessary, it’s equally vital to ensure it doesn’t become insular. By welcoming new members and being receptive to their unique musical offerings, a community not only adds to its diversity but also ensures its longevity.

To all the music communities out there: let’s remember that today’s outsider could be tomorrow’s trendsetter. By being open to new members and their distinct sounds, we guarantee that our community remains vibrant, fresh, and future-ready. Outsiders will bring new energy and ideas what will make sure the music won’t fall in the equivalent of an echo-chamber where everything sounds the same after a while.

 

Ideas to Discover and Connect with Music Communities:

  • Local Music Stores and Cafes: These places often have bulletin boards with events, gatherings, or workshops. Even chatting with the store owner or regulars can lead you to local music groups.
  • Music Workshops and Masterclasses: Enrolling in or attending these can introduce you to like-minded artists and instructors who can guide you to relevant communities.
  • Music Festivals and Gigs: Attend local and regional festivals. Even smaller gigs can be goldmines for networking. Often, they are organized or attended by people who are part of music communities.
  • Online Platforms: Websites like Meetup.com or Facebook groups often have local music groups where you can join and participate in discussions or events.
  • Community Centers and Universities: Many of them offer music courses and often have active music clubs. Engaging with these can open doors to local music communities.
  • Music Production Forums: Websites such as Gearslutz or KVR Audio have active forums where producers from around the world discuss music, equipment, and events.
  • Collaborate Online: Platforms like SoundCloud, Bandcamp, or Splice can be great places not just to share your music but to collaborate with others, which can organically introduce you to communities.
  • Attend Open Mic Nights: These nights often attract local musicians and enthusiasts. It’s a relaxed environment to meet people and get feedback on your music.
  • Visit Recording Studios: Interacting with studio managers or technicians can give insights about local musicians and communities they work with.
  • Engage with DJs: As mentioned before, DJs have their fingers on the pulse of music communities. Engaging with them can often lead to introductions to these communities.

 

Closing Notes: A Call to Artists

 

To my fellow artists feeling a tad adrift, remember that every community started small. If there isn’t a community for your genre, consider starting one! And if that seems like a monumental task, don’t hesitate to reach out in person. Attend local gigs, music events, or even workshops. Establishing a face-to-face connection can be more impactful than a dozen online interactions.

In the ever-evolving landscape of electronic music, one thing remains constant: the value of connection. So, whether you’re an artist seeking your tribe or a community member wondering about the next step, remember that it’s through inclusivity, understanding, and personal interactions that we’ll continue to thrive and create harmonious symphonies for the world to enjoy.

Keywords: electronic music, music production, community, DJ, networking, inclusivity, artists, local gigs, music events.