Rain On Stubble

Layers, pans, bass, lights, heavies, kicks, drops, pianers, echoes, flangers, reverse cymbals, two computers, a Korg KaossPad 3, four different kinds of audio software, wires coming out of walls, wires going into my ears, and of course, V.

And Then Some

And now for something a little different. Midtones all day, baby. Thes One is a good man.

Your Results Came Back Positive

Is this my first time attempting a sampling solo? I hope not. Although I did manage to get 5 layers on top of each other towards the end.

In other news, I managed to hack YouTube to make the embedded videos play in hifi and in stereo. So go back and listen to Kissing Practice and Russ Fuss. For contrast in how they used to sound, check out their YouTube pages, which are still in lofi and mono. I think the "videos" (ie images) are also in higher quality, but I don't feel the need to boast about that bonus.

Russ Fuss

Still chillin with 4 sample banks. I tried to keep it tight and varied, making sure to keep the energy of the beat until the very last drop. Seriously, YouTube is no stereo machine. You'll get your chance to hear it the way it was meant to be heard, in due time.

Moans of Truth

I'm finally doing what I've wanted to do since song 1: rearrange samples out of order. I never tried it out before so I could learn other things first. I wouldn't go ahead and say I'm ready now, but I might as well start getting into it. A lot of doors just opened. And the draft feels pretty good.

Don't Leave Me Out

Yes, so this would be the first time I never layered samples on top of each other. I was just focusing on making the sample into something new. It was especially fun this time around, since I was trying to turn one time signature into another. That means 3-beats-per-measure were masked to fit into a 4-beats-per-measure scheme. I also played around with stuttering in post for the entire song. Works in some places. Distracts in others. Just like The News.

Kissing Practice

This marks my first (and as of the time of this writing, only) song recorded in stereo. It certainly does make a difference, though I'm not using it at all to my advantage (and I'm just now realizing that Youtube doesn't support stereo anyway, so don't worry about it). It was also fun to figure out how to separate the bass from the treble, which allowed me to have a bassline that naturally came from the original sample. All of the muting done with the main guitar was done in one shot, which I commonly like to do because of how raw it feels afterwards. It also allows for errors, hangs, and other indications that let you know I'm human. Which I am. Now go relax.

This Just In

Time to show some Philly love. Although in reading the Wikipedia entry about the original song, it appears to be an often-used theme song for many Action News programs across the East Coast. Go figure. Although, in Philly's defense, Channel 6 Action News was listed as the most popular usage of the theme, as well it should be. I'm not even talking about my mix at this point, which is fine by me. I need to make sure I give Action News the honor it deserves, created by decades of loyal service to the Tristate area and Delaware Valley.

All Aboard

I accidentally found out that my hardware had an update from the manufacturer, adding a few nice tricks to the same button layout. This is my first attempt at playing around with them. Of note would be the ability to mute samples backwards, wherein the sample is only heard while its button is pressed. It sounds like it should have been available from the beginning, which is probably why they threw it in for the update. There's a few more tricks I've yet to touch, so I'm looking forward to feasting my ears on them. Till then, let it ride.

Boys and Girls

This time around, I tried my hand at using some extra technology to help out with some missing bass lines. I also discovered a reliable method for messing with stuttering effects, so I just kind of threw those in at the end. It's something I'd love to do full-scale in a later piece. For now, it'll just be an experiment (much like anything I do here). Keep taking those deep breaths, exhale just as much, and feel the power between each of those actions. It'll take you pretty far.

Serenity Pier

I decided to finally fulfill any expectations for those who know me well enough and sample something from a videogame. This particular sample was once described to me as "the best intro to a trance song ever." Although I didn't take it in the trance direction, I did make use of its harmonious sections. This time around, I decided to let you hear the original sample I started with for each of the three I used, slowly chopping them down in realtime until the final piece is created somewhere close to the 2-minute mark. I also started getting into making the percussion sound more live and less digital. Take what you already have and make it into something new. Take what you don't have yet and make it something you always had. Keep everything. It may not be around next time.

Clark Was Right

In continuing my quest for audible fantasy, the soundtrack to Superman was something that kept coming back to me. Of the possible choices in the soundtrack, it was a tough call, but I eventually found something worthwhile in Lois Lane's love theme. This song marks my first attempt at creating my own beats to accompany the samples. I feel it's a bit too clean, especially on top of such a vintage classic. However, I like the juxtaposition of the two qualities. One's fragile and one's pristine and perfect. Just like Lois and Clark! ...It was worth a shot. Anyway, I like where I'm heading. It's on an unknown path that's created as I take each step. I have every reason to look back and even more reasons to keep moving forward. The search continues.

Secrets in My Room

I find it both easier and more natural to not plan exactly how the finished piece will sound, but rather play with what's available and just experiment. Experimenting is very fun because it's assumed it hasn't been done and you'll be the first to discover something. For me, this is all about personal discovery, so I'm always finding something new. As far as choice of music goes, I think I'm trying to find things that not only work harmoniously within themselves, but also things that mean something to me. They're also from my childhood, so maybe I'm trying to get some message out of my mind through music. Now that I think about it, there are definitely secrets in my room. But then again, who doesn't have those? I think it's best to just let the melody flow and enjoy the ride while it lasts. Let the beat find its way through, and the rest will follow along; naturally.

Memories

Hello all, and welcome to what will be the beginning of something that will never end. I'm just getting into the untapped art of using samples, chopping them up, and combining from different sources. It's fun, exciting, and oftentimes unsuccessful. My tool of choice is the Korg KP3. It's the real reason why I'm even doing this project. I'm staying comfy right now with granulation and bringing the kicks back in on the half-rest after the third beat. I'm really looking forward to breaking away from this. Until then, I'll be focusing on the whole. Just keep it raw and life will flow throughout. Start searching.