In August I began arranging a selection of original music from over the past year (and then some older ones too) into a continuous mix for my own listening.
I sat on the mix for a while and decided to clean it up and put it out somewhere.
Settling back in after my trip to Detroit, I got the instrument back up and running this week.
I created a fresh FX chain for the Edge for creating techno rumbles, and MIDI mapped it using ReaLearn
to a template on the SL. I had a blast playing the full rig for the first time in a few weeks.
With June comes the arrival of Summer, and I wiped my session memory on the SL to start fresh.
The incorporation of the Edge into the instrument is enough of a change in the sound palette that I wanted to begin with a clean slate.
Swapping out my TR-8S template for the Edge rumble controller, I was able to modulate a chorus, multiband distortion,
and delay chain with the SL controls on the fly.
Title: Session 1
Drums: TR-8S, FM Kick Model
Rumbles & Toms & Zaps: Edge -> TAL Juno Chorus -> MDistortionMB -> TAL Dub X
This week I have traveled back to Michigan for Movement, and brought some instruments and a recorder with me to "make use of the juice."
The setup is simply a drum machine and two synthesizers through a passive mixer and directly into a handheld recorder.
Heavy use of effects pedals as well. The whole rig runs off a couple of USB battery bricks and this is my first trip with this equipment.
The first real recording turned out to prove that this rig is really a terrific instrument,
as I had a lot of fun jamming for hours before deciding to capture a take. I recorded in the evening,
deciding to use three different TR-8S patterns and a handful of TD-3 patterns for the session.
Using the TR-8S as the master mixer turned out to really open up the performance capabilities without relying on the usual cohort of external recording gear.
My home studio approach is to use a separate FX chain inside of REAPER, after the hardware mixer, that I can use for musical filtering of the buss signals.
However most of that was handled by the master FX section on the TR, and I didn't feel nearly as unfamiliar with a different ergonomic environment.
Title: Tree Town Lunar Acid
Drums: TR-8S, 2 full custom kits and an 808-909 frankenkit with some custom percussion samples, synths routed through the external input for master effects and side chain compression.
Rumbles & Toms & Zaps: Edge -> MS-60B for bass amp saturation and delay -> TR-8S
Acid: TD-03 -> MS-70CDR for flanging and pitching effects -> Polymoon for superdelays -> TR-8S
Starting with a fumbling tom groove, and quickly introducing acid squelches deharmonized into another plane,
the first of the three sections focuses on establishing a compelling rhythmic tradeoff between zappy toms, claps, and acid accents.
The 303 line wanders into the distance allowing the drums to straighten and the Edge to take the spotlight.
The second section arrives with a new set of pattern variations and drums on the TR. 808 and 909 sounds star here,
along with a shimmering synth lead in 5/16 from the TD-3.
The 808 bass drum voice is processed using a Walrus Audio Badwater bass preamp pedal, and enables a range of different kick tones to fill out the song.
Coming into the final section the Edge begins reinforce the kick with a slamming downbeat riff, inspired by the heavy machinery of the industrial midwest
which gave birth to techno music. The TD-3 evolves a flutey characteristic and a tottering bass phrase from the TR comes in to keep the kicks bouncing.
All of this recorded from the TR main outs to a 2-channel Tascam recorder.
Making heavy industrial drums and bass sounds is something I've struggled with for a long time despite loving the style.
This was a test of some ideas for a heavier rhythm section. The synth and drum parts are inspired by stamping plants,
emergency alarms, and a sense of urgency and panic. I ended up loving the simple acid ostinato in 5/16 and the
polymetric modulation that occurs as a result. I hope you enjoy too.
Title: Flint Metal Center
Drums: TR-8S, kit is custom samples synthesized in Vital/Serum/Phase Plant, and the 909 ACB Ride,
smashed by the mixer preamp on high gain.
Rumble Sub Bass: Hydrasynth -> TR-8S ext side chain for pumping compression
Tonight I went to see Love Lies Bleeding. Rose Glass shredded my heart with
Saint Maud back in 2020
and I was dying to see a follow up. I got home tonight and wanted to make
some music and this is what felt right to me.
I wanted to test what a twitch broadcast with the rig might look and sound like, and this is the result.
Skip to 7 minutes to get past all the patch setup, this was really a test run and not entirely focused on
the musical aspects as much as the technical capabilities of the setup, but I found that this test jam ended
sounding like an acceptable performance and here it is.
Drums: TR-8S, kit is made from custom samples synthesized in Vital/Serum/Phase Plant
Bass Drones: Hydrasynth, Minilogue
Acid: TD-03 into Boss GE-7 into Zoom MS60B for Tube Sat into Alesis QuadraVerb
Chords: Minilogue XD with internal FX
Arp Lead: Neutron through Zoom MS70CDR into QuadraVerb
I spent last saturday morning working on the synth rig and came up with a little
improvised song over a few sequences and patches I put together.
Not much to write home about but I enjoyed what came out of the jam and wanted
to polish up a recording to publish.
Title: Untitled
Drums: TR-8S, kit is made from custom samples synthesized in Vital/Serum/Phase Plant
Bass Drone: Hydrasynth through the ext side chain of TR-8S for pumping compression
Acid: TD-03 into Boss GE-7 into Zoom MS60B for Tube Sat into Alesis QuadraVerb
Glassy Chords: Minilogue XD with internal FX
Twinkling Leads: Neutron through Zoom MS70CDR into QuadraVerb
This was my first jam from scratch on the synths after moving 1000 miles from Detroit to Charleston SC.
Had a lot of heavy music in my head at the time and this is what I wanted to dance to.
Title: Untitled
Drums: TR-8S, kit is made from custom samples synthesized in Vital/Serum/Phase Plant
Bass Drone: Hydrasynth through the ext side chain of TR-8S for pumping compression
Acid: TD-03 into Boss GE-7 into Zoom MS60B for Tube Sat into Alesis QuadraVerb
Wonky Glitchy Drone: Minilogue XD with internal FX
Zingy Lead: Neutron through Zoom MS70CDR into QuadraVerb, post-processed with Melda MPhaser
Square Peg is a project I started when I first moved from playing metal to writing and producing electronic music.
The three EPs are a progressive exploration of synthesis and sequencing possibilities as I learned how electronic
sounds could come alive. A blend between synthwave and other dark styles, the music was made to be exactly what I
wanted to listen to while driving around the city at night. Mostly by serendipity, though.
Coming from being a drummer in a groove-oriented metal scene, I have a lot to learn
about what made a good composition when working with pitched instruments. The work I did under Square Peg has given
me the skills to take my music further down my own path. I started producing faster and heavier techno styles in
late 2020 and I haven't made much music since then that I feel would fit the Square Peg pathos, but I do plan to
finish that material and release another Square Peg EP sometime not too far down the road.
Check out the Releases Highlights page to hear some examples. I have a goal to add track details for some of the more technically interesting projects.
