Words fail me…..

More drool-worthy photos here.

via Synthtopia

I have a new(ish) track to share with you all. It’s actually an update to an older track that was an unfortunate casualty from a computer system upgrade I did many moons ago. This last weekend I finally spent some time rebuilding and embellishing it in the ways that I had been meaning to since first working on it, and it is now in a shape that I am pretty happy with. It’s a bit outside of my normal realm of production, as it is a pretty much straight-house tune, but it still has the groove and atmosphere the I strive for and features some acoustic guitar work by James Whetzel.

I highly recommend that you download the track to listen to it in full quality. (Click on the down-arrow on the right side of the player to start the download.) The streaming-quality compression introduced artifacts in the bass line that are I am not happy with and don’t know how to fix.

Enjoy the tune and please comment if you dig it!

Leave Trace – Monday Mimosas (Twenty Ten Mix) by Leave Trace

Download :: Leave Trace & John Ames - Live at Kinetic 4 / Chillography 204

This set was recorded live in the in Chillography Downtempo Dinosaur room at Kinetic 4 at the Pacific Science Center in Seattle, WA on April 3, 2010. John and I performed under the short-lived name of “A Delicate Moment”, which was quickly killed for being at bit too precious of a name. Band names are hard! Beats and textures by me, Leave Trace, and cello by John Ames.

And here’s some video of the performance:

Please subscribe to the Splendid Beats Podcast and never miss another mix!

 Leave Trace & John Ames - Live at Kinetic 4 / Chillography 204 [61:00m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

So cool. Check out the Ekdahl Moisturizer. It’s a spring reverb with exposed springs, which means that while it can be used as a traditional spring reverb by passing audio signals through the springs, you can also stroke, pluck, and fiddle with the exposed springs to create liquidy, bouncy audio goodness. If you are looking for a unique analog sound, for only $300 this unique effect/instrument would be a fine addition to your sonic arsenal. More info about the unit can be found here.

Holy Baby Zombie Jesus! You know all those production tips you’ve heard over the years and thought “Yeah, that sounds good. I’ll have to remember that.” and then promptly forgotten? Well, some kind soul has put together a mega list of those tips and shared it with the world. Every producer or wanna-be producer needs to read and bookmark this list. There is something valuable here for everyone involved in the making of music with a computer (which I assume is almost everyone these days).

Get your learn on here.

Here’s a loungey house track for your afternoons of sipping bubbly beverages from the deck of your yacht, featuring the acoustic guitar stylings of James Whetzel. This is not the final version of the tune, but I’ve never been able to open the working files properly after upgrading to a new computer a year or so ago. So, until I can resurrect it in some workable form, I thought I’d share this early render with you all.

I’ve spent the last couple of days polishing up a new track to drop in my upcoming sets. I feel like I’m really honing in on my personal sound and this track is just the start of a whole new breed of face-melting, dance floor burners from me.

Be sure to come on out to HOTwired this Friday to hear this track on a big beautiful sound system.

Three instruments have been stoking the fires of my gear-lust a lot lately. I’m just putting this out there in case Santa is listening and has not been effected too much by the economic crisis.

Tenori-on
There is lots to love about this thing. The portability, the method of sequencing, the pretty lights, the interface, and perhaps most importantly, the freedom of not needing a computer. There are tons of videos out there about the Tenori-on, but this on is the most musical that I’ve seen.


Fender Rhodes
Oh, that smooth Rhodes sound…. It just slips into your ears and hugs you from the inside. I would not have a place in my studio to put one of these things, but I would certainly make some serious layout compromises to squeeze one in. That classic, soulful sound just calls to me.


Hang
This is a incredibly hard instrument to purchase. Only a few are made each year, and the desirability should be obvious. That combination of smooth melodious notes from a percussive instrument really attracts me. Due to the scarcity of the Hang, this is realistically the instrument of these three lusts that I’m least likely to ever own. A boy can dream though.

One of my favorite pieces of music production software, GleetchLab, just got an update to v3. Gleetchlab is best suited for making glitchy, ambient, experimental sound scapes because at its core, it is about taking existing audio loops and running them through a sonic meat grinder. Previous versions of GleetchLab were used heavily in the making of my Regression Session release.

Each full version update has done a lot to make this one fine audio mangling instrument, and the move to v3 is no exception. Significant progress has been made in making the interface more user friendly and intuitive, plus much needed midi implementation, a new batch of signal processors, quadraphonic mixing and recording, and a parameters recall utility, make for a nice step forward. Sadly, some of my favorite pieces from v2, namely the Lightman controller and Strange Attractor Oscillator are missing from this release. I’m crossing my fingers that they reappear in a future update. Check out this page for some video demos of the new features.

Read more »

Regression Session is a mega-mix tapestry, woven from my older ambient works. It has been sitting nearly completed on my hard drive for many many months, and I’ve finally finished it up, and am now putting it out on the ‘net for the world to download and hopefully enjoy.

The music in this produced set was created between 2000 and 2008, which was a very explorative time in my music making pursuits. I’m at a point now where I’m feeling more certain of my own creative voice, and feel that combining my older works into a larger piece is a proper way of closing the book on that chapter and allowing me to have a fresh start with my newer techniques, equipment, and processes. Essentially, Regression Session is a time capsule of sorts, documenting the ambient side of my musical voyage since 2000. The production files of most of these tracks have been lost to digital gremlins and computer platform changes, so they are presented here in their final state—goofed notes, audio glitches, mastering mistakes and all. They are what they are and will never be anything different. Despite these imperfections, I am proud to say this is/was me and am happy to have a nice package of the material to present to the world.

Your thoughts and feedback would be very welcome, but are not expected. If you enjoy what you hear, or parts of it, let me know! This music has been intensely private for so long, that I’m now very curious about how it sounds to other sets of ears.

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Download » Leave Trace - Regression Session

Tracklist::
Ocean Deep
Uncertainty Principle
Time Lapse
Quantum Soup
Freedom of Movement feat. Gel-Sol (live)
Interlude
Deeper States
Lighter Than
Had
Moment of Clarity (Ethereal Bliss Mix)

Please subscribe to the Splendid Beats Podcast and never miss another splendid download!

 Leave Trace - Regression Session [34:34m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download