Finish tracks & label website

Finlay, the tracks are finished (some).

Unfortunately, the tracks I uploaded to Send Space before were deleted. This happened because I didn't open a proper account. I just uploaded the tracks, and after some time, if you don't open an account, they delete your files.

The tracks I uploaded were the body of all the construction, so you didn't miss much. Anyway, you can still listen to some of that work in the videos I upload and have posted on this blog.

NOW... Things have changed!

The tracks do not sound the same; they are more polished, and I have finished and mastered some of them.

PLUS... I created a label for experimental music artists (like me), the label is called:

N.C.P Records
(No Commercial Potential Records)

I have created this label page on the Bandcamp page for artists, and have uploaded the finalised tracks:
http://ncprecords.bandcamp.com/

There are 5 tracks on there for now, and these ones I call (electric city - opus 1/2/3/4/5)

I cannot say that the following tracks I will compose will be in the same vein as these ones, but I will try to keep the style so I can have a shelf too... ha ha ha ha ha.

I hope you enjoy it ;)

Live Demonstration - Video

Here is how it all works...
WAVDJ vm108 + Kaossilator.

This is not a proper life. I did this with one hand only and wish I didn't need help at all.
(The other hand was filming the thing)

In this video, I didn't include the Korg melody, the sound bend from the wheel, and I didn't have much flexibility to work as I do with the Kaossilator PLUS. This is a very short demonstration. Usually, this track takes 10 to 15 minutes from start to finish and is a progressive thing.
In this case, it is a rapid demonstration, but it works!

So... off we go then :



Questions ??
Please... do it!

Altered States Opus 5 - Video

Altered States Opus 5 - Video

Track on: 19/01/2010
Video on: 30/09/2010
13:06 Minutes/sec. Track
Equipment:
WAVDJ VM108 + Kaossilator

The sounds in the tracks are progressive. This is live music and is not made on the computer, will take time to have all the tracks constructed.

I am making this fractal video to see how it works and because I always can send a message with the music.
To make these images, it take a long time and patience. The videos take lots of images too, so I will be short of images soon unless I get a different program to make fractals with different scripts.

I think is a good idea to have images and video at the same time. A big projector will be good.

The first video (altered states opus 4) was about art in Dadaism.
This one is about Albert Hofmann and Timothy Leary.

The images will tell you :)

Music, again, is a minimal progressive (live) 

Please note that this is only the first track I am posting.
I have plans to make different music, not just the minimal, ambient, industrial, and experimental, I am doing at the moment.

Enjoy it ;)



Altered Stated Opus 5
(Industrial Ambient)
DOWNLOAD



Altered States Opus 4 - Video

Altered States Opus 4

19/01/2010
13:47 Minutes/sec. Track
Equipment:
WAVDJ VM108 + Kaossilator

This is my first experience with music and visuals.
I produced the music, the video, and some of the sculptures and drawings.
All the other images are Dadaist art and photos.


(NOTE:) For a better viewing experience, change the video settings to *48P and wait 5 minutes for the video to upload completely. Then click play.

I hope you enjoy it.



Altered Stated Opus 4
(Industrial Ambient)
DOWNLOAD
http://www.sendspace.com/file/251mlp
 
 

Altered States Opus 3

Altered States Opus 3

19/01/2010
10:52 Minutes/sec. Track
Equipment:
WAVDJ VM108 + Kaossilator

The sounds in the tracks are progressive. This is live music, not created on a computer, and will take time to construct all the tracks.

In this track, you can listen to what is called Improvisation (as all the tracks I do), but in this case, the start sounds go off-beat.
Don't be scared, it's not like that for long and again, it has a nice mental effect ;)

On this track, I added some bass again.
This is (possibly) one of the most expressive tracks from this lot of tracks I did on this date, but your comment will say if it's true or not.

The background for this track is very tricky as it sounds off tempo but is precisely at the exact (bpm) and makes a vibraphone sound very weird ;)



Altered Stated Opus 3
(Industrial Ambient)
DOWNLOAD
http://www.sendspace.com/file/paomdu

LEAVE YOUR COMMENT
Thank you

Altered States Opus 2

Altered States Opus 2

19/01/2010
10:16 Minutes / Sec. Track
Equipment:
WAVDJ VM108 + Kaossilator

The sounds in the tracks are progressive. This is live music, not created on a computer, and will take time to construct all the tracks.

Second track. 
This track starts like the first one (with the kaossilator sounds first and then the drums) the sounds are progressive and they take you slowly into a ritual meditation.

On this track, I use a bass background, which contradicts what I said earlier about avoiding bass in this track.

This is electronic music for your brain, not for the dance floor ;)
Again, the track was recorded at once (live), no tricks or masterings or studio works.


Altered Stated Opus 2
(Industrial Ambient)
DOWNLOAD

LEAVE YOUR COMMENT
Thank you


Altered States Opus 1

 Altered states, opus 1

19/01/2010
10:18 minutes/ sec track
Equipment:
WAVDJ VM108 + Kaossilator

Write this to be better explained and easy to read... The sounds in the tracks are progressive. This is live music and is not created on a computer; it will take time to construct all the tracks.

 This is the first track with both machines, WAVDJ and KAOSSILATOR.
At this point, I was doing an experiment with the sounds at the start.
If you can be aware, the sounds will be out of tempo... but not!
This creates an extraordinary effect on the music, as after the beat starts, you will feel like the sounds are out of tempo. However, after a few seconds, you will notice that the sounds are connecting fine.
This is a mind game in the music that I would like to play more with ;)

On the other hand, I can change this by starting the tracks with the drums and then stopping the drums after a few seconds, adding some sounds.
After leaving the sounds play for some time, if I switch the drums again, they will start on tempo.
Mental music tricks.




Altered states, opus 1
(Industrial ambient)
DOWNLOAD:
http://www.sendspace.com/file/bk5ian

LEAVE YOUR COMMENT
Thank you

The start

The Start

11/09/2009
28:27 minutes/sec - track

The sounds in the tracks are progressive. This is live music, not created on a computer, and will take time to construct all the tracks.

Here is the first experiment with the machine, both with and without the kaossilator.
A very long and experimental sound.
I cannot call this the best of all the tracks, as it incorporates elements from every track background I used to construct the others. However, I have to post this as it is the first track I made with the machine.
No KAOSSILATOR on this track, it's just the Machine sounds.

I will call this one:
Hypnotic Ambient - The Start

You will notice some hummm in the background.

The sounds on this track are only from the 
WAVDJ - VM - 108 and I try to make the most possible of this.

Hypnotic Ambient - The Start

DOWNLOAD:
http://www.sendspace.com/file/me61k9
(Link Not Working)

LEAVE YOUR COMMENT

Tracks

 Tracks (part 1)

Finally!
Track.... it's the sound of something you have broken ;) (joke)

I will start to post the tracks I did, and I will appreciate your comments, whatever your comment is.

The sounds in the tracks are progressive. This is live music, not created on a computer; it will take time to construct all the tracks.

This is not professional material, and I am not looking to make professional sounds with these machines; I just want to make something different.
That's my DADA PROJECT ;)

I will start posting the tracks by date, which means you will begin listening from the worst (experimental) to the best. It is an evolution and I would like to post the tracks as they come.

No tricks. This is pure life. They will be posted as they are recorded.

To start, I would like to get a name for all the tracks as one, so I will call these first tracks:
The Start (No kaossilator)
Altered states, opus 1
Altered states, opus 2
Altered States Opus 3
Altered States Opus 4
Altered States Opus 5
and so on ...

I will post all the tracks I have recorded and all the stages I passed to reach the last (in perfection) of tracks, but I will take you from start to finish.
(This will be complicated :)

Are you ready?
Okay, the sound is experimental and progressive, as all the tracks are made in real-time and with only two machines. No mastering, no overdubs, no tricks, it is as it is.
Here are the machines used to produce these tracks:
WAVDJ - VM -108
+
KAOSSILATOR
+
My Imagination

I will explain everything track by track, page by page, and sound by sound.
I hope you enjoy it and leave your comments.
Thanks

A hole in the lang

Lost time in bed

Just a quick update...
(If nothing else, it will stay as memory!)

I didn't give up on the idea and I am still working hard, but unfortunately, I have to take a break in this as I have a "Lung collapse" and I have been in the hospital for a couple of months and I am recovering from this ... shit, at the moment!

At the same time, I am really busy with my psy trance record label and editing, as well as publishing new releases from other artists.

But I never stop :) Wile I was in the Hospital, I have been working on my laptop and I did construct some very "dada" tracks "experimental music" I still work on this but I have to admit... I am not excited.
If you've been following this blog from the start, you know by now that music production programs like Ableton don't excite me because they're too technical and detract from my ability to create music.

But again... In the hospital with nothing to do, I had to entertain myself, so I created some strange tracks in Ableton, which I would probably publish through a new record label I plan to establish, focusing on experimental music only.

At the same time, I hope that after I have finished all the publishing of these new releases from my psy trance label, I will be able to dedicate my time only to this project and come up with the so-expected tracks (live and studio)

Till then... speak later ;)

Project Zoom in

 Zoom into the Track Project

I'm going to take a close look at what I do to construct a track.
(NOTE: This may change until I have the first track ready to show) But anyway, these are the main buttons I use to construct a track.
Composition:
1 Drum loop
3 backgrounds
3 different sound patterns on the kaossilator

Drums

The first 2 lines of 6 buttons are the styles. The third line of buttons is the drums for each style. If I click the first button in the first line, I will have six different drum loops in the third line of buttons. This happens with all the style buttons.

So, I now have 6 drum loops set in the 3rd line. I click the first button of the 3rd  line and the drum loop starts.


Background

Once I have the drum loop playing, I need a background. I click the first button in the first line of buttons in the wavdj FX board, where I have uploaded the background sounds I want. This is not synchronised. I have to click the button at the same time as the crash in the drum loop, because they play as if they are synchronised. (precession.)
The first 3 buttons are 3 different backgrounds, set to play with the first drum loop button. Now I have the drums and the first background playing simultaneously (tempo - BPM).



Kaossilator


I have chosen 6 or 7 sounds that complement the drum and background. The sounds of the kaossilator really transform all the feeling of the track once I start to apply sound FX. Sure, I can put more drums with the kaossilator.



Mixer

The mixer is where everything comes together. It's all connected on wavdj channels, I can drop the sound of any one of these loops in and out without needing to turn off the sound himself. If I stop 1 of the loops playing, he will desynchronize from the others, but with the mixer, I can switch on and off the loops without needing to turn off the loop totally; he will be synchronised again when I drop him in.)



After playing around for some time, I changed to the next background.
In this case, I stop the first background loop completely and leave the drums and kaossilator running. together.

Now, I start the second background. Sometimes I need to start the background sound and stop a few times because I cannot always get the sound to start precisely at the same tempo as the drums. However, I usually get it right after 2 or 3 attempts, which makes for a nice intro to the sound as well.

Next, I hope I can post a track :)
I am delaying this because there are many things that can be explored and utilised in WavDJ that I want to try before presenting the final result.

Will be here at some point !

Chapter 18 - Resume

 Track Structure Resume

Expanding on this, it is challenging for some people to understand what I am really talking about.
That's why I like resumes!
It's where you read the important things at once and dont need to go into the whole story.

This is the resume of the Track Structure.

1- Drums
2- Background
3- Kaossilator

Drums
1 drum loop (64 or 128 bars)
These drum loops all include percussion and were created using the software program.
* Read more about the drums here
http://wavdj.blogspot.com/2009/12/chapter-4-drum-loops.html

Background
This consists of a sound or noise looping at the same tempo as the drums.
This background is totally independent of the drums and can be used with other drums (how far the drums are from the exact bpm)
Because this part of the WAVDJ machine does not loop, I have to import the sounds into Ableton and then place them at the same BPM, include more sounds, add voices, and loop the sound for around 10 minutes to provide enough space for improvisations.
* Read more about the FX part of the WAVDJ here, where the background loops are stored
http://wavdj.blogspot.com/2009/12/chapter-8-sound-fx.html

* Read about the backgrounds here
http://wavdj.blogspot.com/2010/01/chapter-14-background-sounds.html

Kaossilator
I pre-choose a group of 6-7 sounds that are similar to the background music playing.
Now I just start creating :)

Having the 2 parts of the wavdj (drums & FX - background sounds) and the kaossilator working at the same time, I  can take sounds off and put them on again, through the mixer of the wavdj

Many things have changed, and new ideas have emerged since I started writing this blog.
I created two tracks in Ableton with no drums and imported them to WavDJ. Then, I made two drum loops to accompany the tracks, but this time, I used the WavDJ software to produce the drums.

Questions ??

Next, I will post a detailed Zoom of these three elements and explain exactly how I am working and what I am doing with the WaveDJ and the Kaossilator.

Chapter 17 - Track structure (part 2)

Track structure (part 2)

NO BASS !
After some experiments with bass in the tracks, I decided that bass is not very good to be included in this type of track.
The track's structure is minimal, when I drop the bass in the track, most part of the other small sounds are inaudible. I don't know why, but this could be due to the frequency of the sound.
Another thing that put me off the bass was the minimal feeling of the tracks changing totally, and I was forced to have a melody; I wish to change all the direction I want to take on this project.

Currently, I am selecting the appropriate sounds for the Kaossilator for each background sound and drum loop. More updates soooooooon :)

Hello Friends

 Hi Friends

The reason I am contacting you now is that I have some tracks nearly ready, and I would like to show them to you and listen to your opinions.
Who's best to do that ?? YOU!

I know it can be painful, but I can handle some earplugs just in case :)

Meanwhile, this was intended to draw your attention and keep you involved in the project's progress.
Until then, please keep reading, as I am close to the end of the first round of tracks.

Speak soon and thank you for paying some attention to the weird shit I do :)

Chapter 16 - Track Structure (part 1)

Track Structure Experiments

Finally, I catch up with myself :)

This is where I am writing as I do the things!
I am at the moment in the music structure, I have recorded the sounds, I have listened, I have made some decisions, and I will need to change:
1* Start of the track
2* Use more bass
3* Make more unrecorded sound movements with the Kaossilator

4* End of the Track

The reasons are:

1* The stars of the tracks are always the same way.
This is because I am working with no synchroniser.
First, I play the Improvised sound made in the Kaossilator, next
The Drums, next
The background, next
more sounds.
This is okay and probably will be the total structure of the track, but listening to 10 tracks that start and finish the same way can be too much. I think!


2* I listen to the tracks and they need bass... again, my girlfriend says no !
I will add more bass to the tracks and listen to how it sounds.

3* Make more unrecorded sound movements with the Kaossilator.
Some low parts in the track need to use more (spare) Sound FX, which helps to create movement in the track.


4* The end of the track, like the start, it's always the same way.


  The end of the track is the same, always.
Always start with the drums and finish with the drums.
At the end, I have to switch off
The background, next,
The FX and at the end,
The drums.

I can find different ways to finish the track; the structure will always have to be this way, but I can use other effects to cover the basic structure at the end.

* Track Structure
I start with a Kaossilator sound, and next come the drums. The sound looping with the drums will sound desynchronised at first, but after some time, looping together, they start to transform into a synchronised rhythm.
Next comes the background sound, which works exactly at the same tempo as the drum loop.
Here, the melody is created already from nothing, and I am just following the vibe by now:)

This makes all the difference because all the music produced is recorded just once and is never the same again, totally unpredictable. Although the sounds may be the same, the melody and effects are always played differently, creating a charming and mental ambient vibe to hear.
Yes, very nice  :)

BUT
Start the track with the drums, it's too violent!
For this reason, I start the track with the FX sound of the Kaossilator.
This even though the drums will come next and not synchronised with the sound played, but the drum loops + the FX, soon start to make sense in your head :) :) And at this moment, it is just a melody created with the FX and the drums.
After the first two sounds play together, I come in with the background sound. Then, after the background sound, I apply more sounds, change the rhythm, and so on.

Very fun :)

Chapter 15 - Add Instruments

New Instruments Experiments.

I had a friend visit me during a weekend, he is a shy musician but has a lot of instruments, including lots of drums (as it is a drummer:)

My friend brought me a Micro Korg.





The Micro Korg
It's perfect, but too limited to work.
It's nice to take some sounds, but just that!
It's a vocoder too, which is beneficial for voices as well as specific sounds. It can make a very original effect in the music.
It's perfect equipment for live performances, but not in the style of the music I try to make here.
It's more of a (techno-minded) music machine.

a Mixer

The Mixer
Here we connected everything.




and a Kaoss Pad

The Kaoss pad
It can be beneficial to add some final effects to the overall music or make slight variations in the final sound played. He can make some extra sounds on top and other special effects.
With Kaoss pad, I think it's good just to make some minimal changes in the total sound, but it's the only one I can see included as 1 more instrument.



For now, my friend has left me the Kaoss Pad for me to have a try, but he will take it back in some months' time.
I end up not using this much.

Chapter 14 - Loops VS Kaossilator

Him and Her !!

Kaossilator and WAVDJ.
Now I have the background sounds in the buttons (by now I have 18 backgrounds)
I have six different drum loops assigned to the six drum buttons. This makes:
18 background sounds
6 drum loops
= 3 background sounds for each drum loop, so that I can change the background sound 3 times in 1 track.
They are all at the same 110BPM.

Putting all together and start to play....

After I have both playing at the same time, I start the kaossilator at the exact BPM and I make some sound effects; by now, the drums and the background are looping at the same time and the kaossilator sounds are giving a colour to the music as I add many other effects.

As I go along with the sounds and loops, I can adjust the mixer on the machine (WavDJ) and toggle the drum loop, background sound, or Kaossilator on and off.
This helps prevent the same sounds from looping for too long.

The kaossilator is a very nice complement for the wavdj.
I have been constructing this track with a vision of an Industrial Ambient style, so I have been looking for Industrial sound loops for the background. I made the Drum Loops sound Industrial, too, but the sounds of the Kaossilator make the track much softer and more Ambient.

My Drum loops are a bit too (breaks) even at 110BPM.
(Later I will write about the Track structure)

This explanation of the track construction is the result of my first experience; I will likely modify aspects such as the structure of the tracks, tempo, or other elements.

3- Backg. VS Drum Loops

Project Start - Backgrounds VS Drum Loops

I did talk about this in the chapter before but I still looking the best way for start the tracks.
The Kaossillator is good to start with sounds but the drums never start on time because wavdj have a big delay, this make the first sounds of the track to be off tempo.
On other hand ,this make a very interesting sound pattern in the melody and is always an improvised sound that will be arranged during the track

After I did some backgrounds and try, I realize that the backgrounds with rhythmic (nuances) sounds are more hard to get at the same drum tempo when I try to mix (background + drum loop) in the machine.

This difficulty didn't happen before with the first background sounds I did ,because they are not so much Industrial .
The first lot of backgrounds I did was more melodic , with long pads and they always go fine with the drum loops at first.
Basically, backgrounds have to be stable sounds and long, not short and rhythmic but I have choose some very rhythmic backgrounds for this Industrial tracks :(

2- Drum Loops

Project Start - Drum Loops

Drum Loops
Part of the WAV file used to change the drums in the program.



I can change all the patterns in the drums, including percussions.
This feature is minimal (as with all), with the only changeable elements being the BPMs and loop patterns; however, the instrument sounds will remain the same.

This is the loop part of the wavdj machine.
(Here are the drum loops buttons on the machine. 6 different drum loops for each style)




Here is where things get complicated, as this loop machine is not synchronised with anything.
For this reason, the background sounds and drum loops must be precisely at the same BPM and started at exactly the right time..

The next mission is to get these two parts playing at the same time (drums & Background sound). This requires a lot of precision to click the effects button at the same time as the first kick of the drum. Let's see !!

Go well :)
How I started the tracks before:

1- I have to start with the drums
2- Then, I can start the background sound at the same tempo as the beat.
(This is because there is no synchronisation in the machine, but the sounds are at the exact BPM, and I start at the right beat.)

But now I do like this: 
1- I will use the KAOSSILATOR to make some noises at the start.
2- I start the drums,
3- I start the background sound.
4- I take off the KAOSSILATOR sounds and delete the first sounds to start new ones while the first drum loop and background sound is playing...
YES !!

Track is on ;)

1- Background sounds

Project Start - Background Sounds

Background Sounds.
As part of WAVDJ (software), I used to modify the sound effects (background) in the program.





This part of the software allowed me to change and upload 900 (background sounds) from one button to another in the (wavdj machine) = (These buttons have no latency)







To start this work, I need background sounds that are industrial and minimal, but I also want to make something softer and more ambient.
To obtain samples and loops, I search the web and find some good resources for free loops and samples.

I found numerous free sample and loop websites, but it's challenging to find the specific type of sounds I'm looking for.
I did download some perfect loops (industrial) and  I will make a page just with links to mention these websites.
I have been searching since I started this DADA Project (wish will have a different name for various reasons)

I take the Background sound (loops) to Ableton and I stretch it, as long as I want, and I can add other sounds or voices in the background as I change the tempo (bpm) of the sounds for they cam match with the drum loops of the machine, as I dont have synchronisation possibilities on this machines.

I am doing the drum loops at 110BPM, so I want the loops I am doing in Ableton to come as 110BPM and I can stretch the loops for 30 min.. This is because the EFFECTS BUTTON do not loop the sound.
(The only looping part in wavdj is the drum machine.) wish to repeat the pattern over and over until I stop them.

So, here is the first job... get nice loops and make long backgrounds in Ableton, next, save as a WAV file and upload to the program software (*first image)
Each sound I upload into those spaces will be playing in the (wavdj machine buttons) (*second image)

Backgrounds on'e  go.)

Chapter 13 - Project Start

 Project Start - The Intro

After all the story and all the WaveDJ and Kaossilator presentations, I will now be more specific about the project and what I am doing.

First, I need to make:
1 - Background sounds
2- Drum loops
3- Ad 3 background sounds for each drum loop
4- Make short keyboard melodies
5- Make the background sounds at the same tempo as the drum loops in Ableton
(No sounds synchronised here.)
6- Found the best sounds in the kaossilator to use in each track.
(I will specify all this later)

This sounds easy, but it is not!
The wavdj software has too many bugs and dont work as a professional music program.
The wavdj (machine = console) makes a delay in the sounds.
(NOTE)  Delay is the time it takes for the sound to actually be heard on the speakers after I press the buttons of the wavdj (machine)

For a delay example:
If I press the keyboard, the sound takes about 2 seconds to be heard in the speakers. (delay)
If I press the FX buttons, the sound takes about 1 second to be heard in the speakers. (delay)
If  I press the drum loop button, the sound takes about 3 seconds to be heard in the speakers (delay)
This makes it a hard job to get the music all synchronised (drums + background sounds + keyboard)
In this case, I have to know precisely the tricks of this machine, but the most important thing is to have the sounds and drum loops at the same tempo.
IF I press the FX button (background sound) just 1 second before or after the beat of the drum loop, the sound will start out of tempo... I really need to be precise here or all the music will go into a mess!
Luckily, I can stop the sound if I press the button at the wrong time and restart again, which plays a sound intro while the drum loop continues to play.

Experiments to start.
My first experiment was to create Minimal Ambient music, but I soon realised that the drums of the wavetable don't allow me to make much, as the sounds are the same and only the loops can be changed (as I mentioned earlier). However, I did give it a try anyway.

My second experiment (still ongoing) is to make Minimal Industrial. A'm a bit more satisfy with the results but still a long way to go as I have to search a lot in the web to find some good free sound loops and after that, I have to put the loops on Ableton to make some arrangements and get the background sounds at the same tempo (bpm) of the drum loops of the wavdj.

My last experiment will be minimal Ambient, but this time without drum loops, just sounds.

I would never have got into this if I hadn't found the Kaossilator to be a good supplement for the WaveDJ.
One time, I had the WAVDJ looping the sounds and the drums at the same tempo, I would have time to go into the Kaossilator and add more sounds.
After I have enough sounds playing in both machines, I can return to the wavdj and adjust the background sounds, create short melodies, pause the drum loop, and drop in another sound or any other playing sound, because the wavdj features a 6-channel mixer where the sound can be turned on and off.

In fact, I can go mad and connect all this to my CD decks mixer, which has a surround button and will give me the possibility to equalise the sound while I am playing (low, med, high).
But I am not that mad... am I !?
If so, it's just a music issue! :)