TOTW: Vangelis_ Blade Runner End Titles

A sci-fi classic film with a now classic score to match. Vangelis used sequencing through many of his pieces, but probably the most iconic is the end titles of BladeRunner. The Sequencer drives the bass line and in turn the whole track. A powerful ending to a fantastic film, and a great piece of music in its own right:

Youtube:

Spotify:

TOTW Playlist:

TOTW: Moderat_A New Error

A New Error by Moderat continues this month’s trend by featuring a wonky sequence that first leads and then underpins the majority of the track. As more instrumentation is added, it drives into the background, becoming a bed for the other instruments to play off. It’s removal halfway through the track creates a sparse void, which allows the aggressiveness of the base line to shine through. 


A New Error demonstrates the versatility of a looping sequence when used creatively. Once it’s in the listeners head, it can stay the driving force of a track even if its removed completely:

Youtube:

Spotify:

TOTW Playlist:

TOTW: Orbital_ Tiny Foldable Cities

Orbital have been around since the 90s rave scene, and still create fresh music to this day. Continuing our month of tracks featuring step sequencers, ‘Tiny Foldable Cities’ is made up of several synth sequences that are mixed together to create a more complicated composition.

The sequencing forces a rigidity and lends dynamics that most instruments don’t have, but it allows for adjusting other settings in a synthesizer to morph the sound or individual notes over time. In this way, elements of randomness are created, keeping the track feeling organic:

Youtube:

Spotify:

TOTW Playlist:

TOTW: Keeping Txme_ Selling, Gold Panda & Jas Shaw

A fairly minimal track; ‘Keeping Txme’ focuses on a looping sequencer which drives a collection of synthesisers. The piece develops by changing and replacing the sound design of the synthesisers, whilst maintaining it’s melodic structure.


This track also demonstrates another trait of sequencing; the ability to create a ratcheting effect by playing the same note multiple times in its space within the sequence. This adds a rhythmic element to the melody that keeps the listener intrigued.

Youtube:

Spotify:

TOTW Playlist:

TOTW: Donna summer_I feel love

As someone who likes to play instruments and build patches with synthesisers, you realise with more clarity over time something that should be obvious. Namely an instrument’s input method is the majority of its sound.

As someone who likes to play instruments and build patches with synthesizer, you realise with more clarity over time something that should be obvious. Namely an instrument’s input method is the majority of its sound.

An instrument forces its player to relate to it in a particular way. It sends its player down a path, making certain notes or chords easier to replicate then others. It is this, mixed with the way that the sounds are generated, that creates each and every instrument’s characteristics. Often, just by interacting with an instrument in a way that feels natural for you, it results in its iconic sound.

This leads us to Step Sequencers. Step sequencers and synthesizers have developed in tandem since their creation. Used together they have become the backbone of many genre of music, creating lead melodies, base lines and even drum patterns that have re-defined music. Although the synthesizer can be played with every other form of input method at this point, the Step sequencer is still a method that is synonymous with synthesis. It’s an input method, just like a keyboard or a string, and its design creates its own rigid timbre that, when married with electronics, has resulted in some incredible music.

Throughout December I decided to dedicate my TOTW to the sequencer. Highlighting some great tracks that use it as a primary feature and where else to start than ‘I Feel Love’ by Donna Summer.

For many, this will be the first time the step sequencer and synthesizer would have been heard. Giorgio Moroders synth programming brought this sound to the main stream and in turn started dance music as we now know it. Listening to this at 3 and 5:30 marks where Donna summer’s vocals are removed allowing a driving kick drum in a four on the floor pattern to really drive home the sequenced line sounds epitomising Dance music to this day. Not only iconic, but hugely influential, ‘I Feel Love’ demonstrated the potential of electronic music and the sequencer to artists, and proved that it could be successful commercially.

As someone who likes to play instruments and build patches with synthesisers, you realise with more clarity over time something that should be obvious. Namely an instrument’s input method is the majority of its sound.

An instrument forces its player to relate to it in a particular way. It sends its player down a path, making certain notes or chords easier to replicate then others. It is this, mixed with the way that the sounds are generated, that creates each and every instrument’s characteristics. Often, just by interacting with an instrument in a way that feels natural for you, it results in its iconic sound.

This leads us to Step Sequencers. Step sequencers and synthesizers have developed in tandem since their creation. Used together they have become the backbone of many genre of music, creating lead melodies, base lines and even drum patterns that have re-defined music. Although the synthesizer can be played with every other form of input method at this point, the Step sequencer is still a method that is synonymous with synthesis. It’s an input method, just like a keyboard or a string, and its design creates its own rigid timbre that, when married with electronics, has resulted in some incredible music.

Throughout December I decided to dedicate my TOTW to the sequencer. Highlighting some great tracks that use it as a primary feature and where else to start than ‘I Feel Love’ by Donna Summer.

For many, this will be the first time the step sequencer and synthesizer would have been heard. Giorgio Moroder synth programming brought this sound to the main stream and in turn started dance music as we now know it. Listening to this at 3 and 5:30 marks where Donna summer’s vocals are removed allowing a driving kick drum in a four on the floor pattern to really drive home the sequenced line sounds epitomising Dance music to this day. Not only iconic, but hugely influential, ‘I Feel Love’ demonstrated the potential of electronic music and the sequencer to artists, and proved that it could be successful commercially:

Spotify:

TOTW Playlist:

TOTW: AQXDM_ Ballad 002

At the beginning of this month, pioneering electronic music practitioner Aphex Twin played in Berlin for the first time in 15 years. His DJ sets always mix his own music with the work of newer acts, highlighting them to a greater audience.

For those who didn’t get to attend the night, the internet has now become a great resource to find out the music he played and maybe introduce you to something new. Resident Adviser created a playlist of some of the tracks played across the night and that’s how i came across this track by AQXDM.

‘Ballad 002’ is hard hitting techno at its finest. Heavy compression on aggressive percussion drives this track with a laser guided focus. It’s so all consuming it doesn’t need much else. A powerful track that gets right to its emotive point:

 
Youtube:

Aphex Twin at Funkhaus Playlist:

TOTW Playlist:

 

TOTW: BROCKHAMPTON_TAPE

The strength of BROCKHAMPTON is their versatility. This self titled ‘boy band’ is a collective of artists that come together to make Hip Hop that allows each of their own experiences and styles to come through.

Their output of four albums in under two years is an indication of the wealth of creativity and talent that the group have. Each album manages the difficult task of allowing a vast diversity in its styles of rap and production without loosing its structure.

It’s the groups ability to have clear and defined narratives that mange to be both individual and also part of the collective that make them worth listening to. A favorite track of mine is TAPE from their latest album ‘iridescence’.

The use of Classical/Jazz samples and shuffling kick drum patterns are a production style that has always worked well in Hip Hop. On TAPE the instrumentation changes as each of four rappers from the collective take up a verse. They all have a different world view and style of vocal delivery and this provides a grater narrative that only strengthens the piece and exemplifies the quality of the group as a whole:

youtube:

spotify:

TOTW Playlist:

TOTW: Kelly Moran- Water Music

On her album “Ultraviolet” Kelly Moran runs with the technique of prepared piano to crate an world of dreamy textures and flowing melody.

The technique of prepared piano involves adding items onto the strings of a piano to get different sounds. On this album the preparation used gives the piano a toy like almost music box style sound with shorter more metallic resonances. This especially works well on the track Water Music which grows into a wealth of dreamlike textures:

Spotify:

TOTW Playlist: