phlm 2005
old experiments for learning about subtractive sound synthesis made over two years starting in 2003 when i was working in the archives of a hospital.
each of the loops and songs should offer something the others do not. even today, i still find the rawness of the sounds unusual. the tracks feature a relatively wide dynamic range, some more complex rhythms, hidden details, and usually synthesized instruments created from scratch.
over the years, i noticed that it is distinctly hard to listen to multiple in a row. that is in one part, surely, because of how lowly refined the compositions, sounds, and especially (if it can even be called that) melodies are - but in another smaller part, it is supposed to be challenging.
one idea behind it goes like this: what if we distribute rhythms and melodies across multiple instruments, and some of them play louder or softer in unexpected ways? a rhythmic or melodic thread could hide within the noise or fade in and out of existence - not because it is not there, but merely because it goes unnoticed depending on the listeners current perceptual state.
released under a cc-nc-sa license. anyone is free to copy, create derivatives/remixes, and use samples without asking for permission, as long as it is for non-commercial use.
highlights
artwork
albums
notes
first album
the first three tracks are a concept on creative process
- conception: "session"
- work: "build up"
- and "use"
it is different from the following albums in the structure of tracks and that it uses pre-recorded bits of sound primarily. i would recommend to listen from start to end, as i think it can be rewarding, and it is only 1.3 kiloseconds long
- build up: all sounds synthesized. notes are incomplete and are gradually increasing in length and distinction, hitting hammers and metallic clattering
second and third
- extension and the extended: here tempo is constantly stretching and condensing. the hi-frequency noise has different envelope-release times per note. the melodic instrument has gating applied to cut the sound off at various lengths in various intervals. the background synthesizer has quite its own liveliness
- get me phoenix: rhythmical hat modulation
- mood 2: dissonant part at the end
- spieluhr: culture critical track. all sounds synthesized
fourth
- 5f3: switching filter types. only synthesized sounds
- kalo: no guitar involved. only synthesized sounds
fifth
tracks that had not been included in other albums
- whitesea: low-key and subtle. experimented with a strongly pitch changing sound. supposed to sound like ocean and misty distances. regrettable pitch-modulated sound. only synthesized sounds
- atekkbase: switching between oscillator wave patterns
- silverglanc: slowly progressing layering with switching sound routes between different effect channels
- tdt: a prototype
- teufelsbluhend: had to press and keep holding a lot of keys at once in this one
- kalo hyellow: sounded "yellower" than the version on "4 prosper"
- himmelmörder: a green meadow on a warm and bright summer day
- flier: i always liked the intro of this one, though it never got completed
- 0range beat: made a significant editing mistake here and lost the source
- fun3000: this is what it can sound like to use a different synthesizer
- halco: slow with deep bass sounds. all sounds synthetic
- non-specific acoustic stimulation: quite non-specific