Sauce (or Source)

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In terms of your reference points, you’ve experimented with lots of styles but there’s a Kowton signature that feels quite consistent. How do you think you’ve evolved as an artist over the past eight years?

I think when you’re working with such a minimal selection of sounds all you really have to work with is the way that you fit them together, and it’s almost the bits that you don’t notice that make the tune great. If you could give three or four producers the same sounds and asked them to make a track, not only would the rhythms be different but also the way that they interact would be different. I think if I’ve learnt anything it’s that nuanced way of gluing everything together and presenting a cohesive whole from quite different ingredients.

I hope I’ve got better at answering the challenges of writing minimalist records: how do you propel the music, how do you engage the listener when nothing’s happening, essentially – that’s the hardest thing I think. When it doesn’t work then it’s back to the drawing board. I’ve got so many tunes that could’ve worked but didn’t, and there’s not an obvious reason why, but hopefully I’m better at spotting at what point it works and what point it doesn’t.

What I’ve definitely done is cut down on all the peripheral noises and all the shite that goes in. When I listen to those early records there’s so many incidental sounds it’s almost like punctuation – every 32 bars, have a new noise. Or let’s have another breakdown, let’s have this, let’s have that, and I think as I get older, more and more I gravitate towards this ideal of music that just flows – direct and concise exercises in rhythmic repetition.

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:wink:

Was wondering when this would drop.

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dat lisbon. good times

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https://scontent-cdg2-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xpa1/v/t1.0-9/13051639_992383014143618_301843402879431669_n.jpg?oh=0a8ad5f800c11d88de516d25f24f2dc8&oe=5774FC13

Prince’s mixing desk. RIP.

Good selection of tech interviews;

http://www.stampthewax.com/category/features/interviews/talking-tech/

Mixing on Consoles vs DAWs w/ JC Concato (FFL!)

Budapest techno

http://daily.redbullmusicacademy.com/2016/04/farbwechsel-budapest-techno-feature

Brighton Techno

Christian Vogel interviews

http://www.factmag.com/2014/11/21/christian-vogel-fact-interview-joe-muggs/

https://www.renoise.com/blog/artists-indepth-cristian-vogel

http://www.tokafi.com/15questions/interview-cristian-vogel/


Horns and delay


SP-1200 discussion

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heavy duty post, thx dogg

MPC business from Monkeytown producer eLan.

When Modeselektor heard Elan Stouffer’s music, they signed the young Cali talent on the spot. After a split 10” with Falty DL on 50 Weapons, eLan dropped a trilogy of lush future-boogie and hazy hip-hop instrumentals on Monkeytown Records, later compiled on 2011’s Next To Last. A member of Shlomo’s WEDIDIT Collective and a former resident at Critical Beatdown in San Diego, his laidback West Coast sound spins out from Dâm-Funk, Dilla and the Brainfeeder beatsmiths.

why does the juno 60 always sound so fucking good

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Canadian producer Bwana goes HAM with a Taylor Swift vocal.

After hearing Bwana’s awe-inspiring Akira tribute Capsule’s Pride, released on LuckyMe this March, we had to get him in for an Against The Clock session.

Showing off his sharp ear for samples, in just 10 minutes he flips a Taylor Swift vocal into choppy, Holly Herndon-esque euphoria with his quick-fingered Ableton approach. It’s one of the most
fully formed compositions we’ve seen from an Against The Clock challenge.

Currently living in Berlin, the formerly Toronto-based producer has just released his Panorama Bar-inspired Opening The Gate EP on Aus Music.

Listen to Bwana’s finished tune from his Against The Clock below:

Wow.

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this one was fun to watch

Nomine has a thread on his Facebook page for Production tips;

  • Don’t compress if you don’t know why you’re using compression. If you just want to increase volume use a saturator as it adds harmonics instead of taking away from the sound! Compression confuses a lot of people and confused me for a long time, it plays specific roles in the mix and isn’t something you need to use on an instrument just because you’ve heard the term thrown around a lot (like I did).

  • This is probably less of a tip and more of a workflow sharing. What I really like to do is take a field recording or a sample of rain, thunder, construction sites or vinyl crackle for example. As it is not “musical” yet, I listen for a part of the audio that has something emotive to it, that feels like “something”, for the lack of a better term. I then loop it, pitch it around and send it through a rather extensive effect chain - resonators, filters, delays, reverbs, phasers - really up to taste and mood and completely open. I have gotten some really rich and evolving soundscapes out of that way of working and enjoy the contrast to what synths do.

  • Never set yourself a certain way of getting from A-B, I used to make templates and organise everything but it was draining the spontaneity and adventure out of music and that was what made me want to make music in the first place.

  • Try placing the kick around -12db> and mixing your other channels around that, it’s always nice to have a reference (I.E the kick) to make sure that nothing is too overpowering in the mix

  • I’ve managed to get some really good sample patches from Rush albums especially the 1980s stuff ( eg Signals, Grace under Pressure, Power Windows ) - very synth heavy tones and obviously the drums kick like a mule.

  • I picked this up from a techno producer’s Q&A a couple years ago, and thought it fit my workflow & helped me in some way. When opening up an existing track, immediately do a “Save As…” and update the version number of the track. Creates a way of tracking the creative process of a piece of work.

  • when writing either your drums or your b-line, make sure both are working together, building some drums and slapping some mad b-line on it isnt (in my opinion) the way to go, one should go into the other, also space is just as important as sound, dont feel you need t0 fill every gap or have 60 channels just because other people do, sometimes less is more.

  • Side chaining your mid range bass to your sub gives your sub a little movement and makes it a lot cleaner in your mix. Especially when your mid range has some sub undertones and doesn’t allow the sub to overpower the mix

  • think there was one you said Nomine that was when you’re referencing a master, bring a professionally mastered track into the session and take down the volume to match your mixdown to compare the characteristics at an equal volume and you’ll come out with a really nice result. thought it was worth repeating to get it seen

  • this one is sooo noob but i remember when i learned it the difference was astounding: cut all of the low end out of non- low end sound sources. its obvious now, but it was an eye opener to realize that even a high hat has lots of low end information in the recording that quickly muddies a mix (engineering 101)

  • If you don’t already own fab filter plugins, I recommend them all. Useful as creative tools and for mixing/mastering. Best effects I’ve used by far

  • learnng a bit of musical theory, ie understanding circle of fifths, how chords harmonize etc, is pretty underated in dance music. Allso watch some workflow tips for your DAW, once you know how to do most things in your daw, then you will find getting your ideas out is alot easier and quicker… If your using ableton, i really recommend the mr bill workflow tutorials available on youtube

  • My tips aren’t technical. But spend time doing things that make you feel inspired and creative. Walk in nature or in the city and take in everything. Smoke a bowl. Have good sex. Feel your emotions. Let that breathe into how you approach your tracks. Take the time to experiment with sounds and see what comes of it. Sometimes a sound is nice, but a bit of experimentation can make it better, or perhaps change the sound into an original sound. Try different sequencers and tape effect plugins, you could find a rhythm or add some spice to an instrument that seems bland.

Full thread here - https://www.facebook.com/NomineSound/posts/1046389548776888

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Soooooooo much good in this one post…

:gunfinger:

(Except sampling Rush lol.)

Not a fan of this one…feel like he’s got a little too much prepared before hand.