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Notes on
the Making of the Celestial Windowpane
10/1/99
I am making and editing loops like I am out of my mind. Upgrading
the studio too with new stuff to make the most outstanding collection of
acid loops ever made for the electronic artist. Originally my
idea was just to make loops form Ice Kold Tekno and the Mystik Garage, as
these would be plenty by themselves. However, I'm was getting such
great drums and synth tracks out of Rebirth I just had to include them.
Makes it all eminently danceable. Then I decided to hook up the old
reliable MS-20 and get the clock to read from Logic so I could do
some tight arpeggios and simultaneous knob twists. Success!
Real analog phrases are on the way.
I spent 3 days researching what one
piece of hardware would really, make the project groove. Almost bought the
MC505, for the D beam, and considered many, many virtual analogs.
Hard Choice! Decided the thing to get was the little Korg Electribe A,
since it can gate and filter an audio input over midi as well as give me
the hippest bass phrases one can get. Also I have a little spot for it
right next to the Mackie feeding the computer. It's coming Friday from
zZounds, and you can bet the Tweak will tweak that to its ultimate.
By the way, if you really want to compare acid cd roms, listen to the
basses. The music you make with Acid is defined strongly by the bass
patterns provided. I aim to get you some powerful, usable lines
without being trite. In addition to the 303 stuff, Electribe stuff,
and my classic ms20 and Mystik basses, I have decided to add some of my
VFX dreamy pads, digital satellites and complex effects. The VFX,
for those who remember, is distinguished by its 6 layer sound and unique
Transwaves. It's one of the first "morphing" synths using a vector
approach.
Then I
started to think of fractals, and got a new algorithmic composer. By
the way, the tweak cut his teeth on all the old Dr. T's algorithmic
composer programs way back in the 80's so this new stuff is old hat.
What isn't old hat is the sounds of Ice Kold and the Mystik (and my
arsenal of modern synths) triggered by fractals, chaos, and random
algebra. I've discovered sonic territory so far out there it has
redefined the project. No hype. I really think I found some
NEW ground here. It's unearthly, it's cyber, it's right ON for this
year of the new millennia.
It's strange, man, I look up into the
night sky and feel this really hyped out static electricity running the
cosmos. Our electronic music is getting faster and faster. One
wonders... all I can tell you, in the midst of the pure force of
creativity as I work through the night, is that there is something very
musical about the forces that run our universe. It is our
responsibility as electronic musicians to capture the real forces of
matter and energy in our art, so the mathematicians, physicists, and
technologists can get a handle on them.
All i can
tell you now is that my aim is to blow you away with the greatest and most
usable phrases you have ever heard, and give you material that will put
you way ahead of the pack. The cool thing about Tweakheadz Lab is that I
am a completely independent sound designer. I don't have to bow to
commercial pressures, and there is no marketing dude telling me to include
the worn out mainstream breakbeats and hip hop grooves that every
groovebox has. This allows you, and me to look at musical creativeness in
its most raw and beautiful forms. The Acid CD Rom is coming.
Tweakheadz.com will be the only place in the world where you can get
it.
Update
12/99 I've made
nearly 1000 loops so far and have thrown out about 300. It's looking
like about 700 will fit on a
650 meg CD
Rom. But I am still adding, deleting and tweaking. Every loop
will contribute to the project. Building a very strong house here.
Every tool in the studio has been used. The Ms20, the VFX, QS8,
Wavestation and the new Electribe A. Its all locking together.
Huge stereo panoramic vistas, cold digital satellites bleeping, liquid
smooth analog textures alongside the precision of digital pinpricks of
light. You won't believe your ears.
Crunchy 808/909 dance drum grooves offset by real exotic percussion.
Ice Kold Tekno Basses sequences constructed with all the Emu filters
running full tilt, by the guy who knows all of Ice Kold's secrets. Whew!
And you say you want unusual stuff, it's here. Incredible machines,
abrupt turnarounds, juxtaposition of sounds so different, contrast becomes
takes on a new dimension.
I am pushing the project against the
boundaries of electronic music into some strange cyber world. Sound design is
much like a quest for truth. As the layers stack up, new textures
and pattern emerge. A typical groove box might give you tools to do
the dance floor, or trance, or rave and yes they will make dance.
But can they take you beyond? This set of loops starts with
traditional trance and ends somewhere WAY out there. I'd like to
think it is a method to approach higher intelligence. Hence, the
title, tentatively, mind you, Celestial Windowpane.
Update 12/11/99. I've gone through the
second review and threw out another 100 megs. Its a perfectly
pleasing and sellable product now, but I am not going to stop. The
longer I go the better it gets. When I truly think it is THE pathway
to modern celestial music is when it will will go for sale. You will
be different. It will open your imagination to strange and unknown
area of our musical collective unconscious.
Update
12/17/99 Never content, I added another 50 loops. You will
be glad I did when you hear them. Classic OBX Synths in a space
oriented scale, some cz101 loops, emulations of astronaut voices, and some
deep, deep space sounds that will rattle your woofer cones, looped
voxs you can rise and fade with envelopes, and some really tasty analog
emulations from the new Emagic software synth (which sounds more analog
than analog ever did!) Since I added, this means I have to delete
more stuff again and that's getting pretty hard. The end result will be a
cd chock full of great stuff with no fluff. The fun factor is really
increasing fast now.
Also had to
make a few decisions. Decided I cannot represent all the different
groove genres in this project. So if you are looking for specific
classic house and drum n bass, big beat or specific sub genres under
electronica, this disk is not for you. You might be able to get
these out of the disk, but I have decided to avoid all textbook
definitions of what makes a loop. I have way too much stuff you have
never heard to consider trying to sound like what DJ's think is cool.
Most collections have dance sounds first and then tack on the space
sounds. This disk focuses strongly on space sounds and adds a strong
set of dance sounds. That's what makes the Windowpane unique.
Update
12/22 And even more loops. I am really nailing some great
dance grooves having made a number of discoveries using Logic's Groove
Quantize. There is something really cool at 16C 48%.
Added some MC202 basslines for that throbbing feel and whipped up some
great patches on my sampler combining Juno and OBX synths. Today it
is out to the pawn shops to find another vintage piece. I am also
fixing things and renaming, putting the loops to near final form,
rearranging directories so they make sense to you. Just posted an
new demo snip Dance of the Valkeries--those cool OB horns--couldn't
resist--and you get proof that yes you can sound like a Techno Symphony
and not loose the dance feel.
Update
12/27. I just finished the third review after adding/deleting
more the last few days. I'm being hyper critical, cleaning and
trimming, renaming. But still am not ready to release till its all
locked solid. But we are very close. The final count on loops will
be over 1000. I expect to have the CD ROM ready to ship on December
31, 1999 at midnight. I am still deciding on a price. It will be in
line with with other acid libraries.
Update 12/31 We
are almost upon the finish. I Have blown myself away! Its a classic.
Update
1/01/00 The lights are still on and Windowpane is finished. |
