DAY 14: s o n i c b r a t

"Près de Toi"

Tempo: 20/40
Colour: White

Plogue Bidule; employing Crystal synth and Remedy synth (they are free downloads by the way)... For a view of the patch click HERE. Take it as a "work in progress" piece; there's definitely more room for adding things on but at this point I like keeping it simple and sweet.

A hypnotic, minimalistic and experimental piece. I wanted to do something "softer" using the PB platform, to paint a surreal but beautiful feeling. So here's trying something out for myself. It's meant to be listened to softly, best through headphones for the stereo images. The layers were added slowly and subtly... I actually like the granular synthesis (all the clicky random tones) quite a bit may explore more of it in future post.

Feel free to comment...

DAY 14: LDT

"The Border Lands"

Tempo: NA
Color: NA

LDT: Novation XioSynth, DOD Dimension 12, Digitech Digi Delay, Boss Giga Delay, Zoom MRS8, assembled in Acid Pro and Sound Forge.

Feel free to comment.

DAY 13 : Eric

Tempo : 28
Color : marble

This morning I played with pseudo random sequenced notes, I added lot of reverberation, and since I love the reverberated part of the notes instead of their appeareance (I kinda love the ghost or shadow of the notes), I wanted to change the point of view in order to hear this nice reverberation.
I add the simple idea of just slowing down the tempo to 28BPM, probably inspired by the Leif INGE work on Beethoven 9th stretched out to 24 hours.
The result is more dramatic, by the way.
Oh and I used three flangers to modulate the sound.

DAY 13: s o n i c b r a t

"Flottements"

Tempo: NA
Colour: Pale

Flutters in the mind...

Plouge Bidule synthesis. Picture of the patch designed for this session. There is sub bass ambient going on so be sure to turn up your sub or use a headphone for best effect of this piece.

Feel free to comment.

DAY 13: LDT

"Walking the Valley"

Temop: NA
Color: Dark

LDT: Novation XioSynth, Sherman Filterbank, DOD Dimension 12, Digitech Digi Delay, Zoom MRS8, assemble in Sound Forge and Acid Pro.

Feel free to comment.

DAY 12: s o n i c b r a t

"Reconstruction"


The reconstruction of a character
Is to disintegrate yourself within...
There in after to work on the foundation
As such it is, in fact, deconstruction...

Tempo: 85
Colour: Metallic

Gears: KORG Radias, KORG Kaoss Pad III, Humbucker, Reaktor 5, faulty connections; old vocal samples I've recorded.

Today's composition came without much thought, just switch my stuffs on and started recording. It's all about layering and try to paint the sub-conscious.

DAY 12: LDT

"The Defeat of Apollyon"

Tempo: 70 bpm
Color : none

LDT: Novation XioSynth, Sherman Filterbank, DOD Dimension 12, Digitech Digi Delay, Zoom MRS8, assemble in Sound Forge and Acid Pro.

Feel free to comment.

DAY 11: s o n i c b r a t

"Nuages de Sucrerie de Coton"


The shadows palmed my eyes from the blazing sunlight...
Bearing the heat for me like a mother shielding her child from adversities...

Tempo: 85 Bpm
Colour: Pastel

Gears: KORG Radias, a little Humbucker and KORG Kaoss Pad III; Plogue Bidule

Listen to it softly... it's meant to be a quiet piece... Sampled into the Kaoss Pad III by parts and played live during recording. Guitar drone added post. It's a tough one today. I did 3 songs and the first two just didn't speak anything so I dumped them...

Feel free to comment.

DAY 11: LDT

"Trials in the Valley of Humilation"

Tempo: 128 bpm
Colour: Dark

LDT: Novation XioSynth, Electro Harmonix LPB 2ube, Electro Harmonix Octaver, Cloud 9 Distortion, Zoom Digi Delay, Zoom MRS8, assembled in Sound Forge and Acid Pro.

Feel free to comment.

DAY 10 : Eric

Tempo : 120
Color : saturated sepia

I was not satisfied yesterday with my improvization based upon my "Jump into my life" song (coming from a dream). Since I first pass my finger over the strings when just checking the sound, I then recorded an impriovization with too hard string touch.
This afternoon, I decided to redo the experimentation upon "Jump" but using my bow, to obtain a soft sound attack. I used AmbiLoop (and TriggerFinger to control it) for recording the phrases.
It appears that it also reminds me of old images from movies (short movies).
Since I was rather inspired, I recorded three experimentations though they are very close in terms of ambiance.
I hope you will hear the gentle wind though I hadn't include such sound here.

DAY 10: s o n i c b r a t

"Le Tour de Nuit"


Taking the night ride alone
Stuck in a time capsule
I wish I can speed up time

Tempo: 100 Bpm
Colour: White streaks

Gears: KORG Radias, KORG Kaoss Pad III

Using the same motive of my previous composition, I've developed the song further with a denser arrangement plus changes to the structure. It's the first time I am using the KORG Radias seriously. Nothing was sequenced except the drums, which was heavily sound designed. The song was played live during recording. There's a bit of other sound designs in it as well to paint the picture. Tune was passed through the reversed delay in KP3, and the drums through graining.

Feel free to comment.

DAY 10: LDT

"Crossing the Stream"

BPM : 64 or 128
Color: foamy water

LDT: Novation XioSynth, Electro Harmonix LPB 2ube, Zoom MRS8, assembled in Acid Pro and Sound Forge.

Feel free to comment.

DAY 9 : Eric

Dreamcloud

Tempo : 136BPM
Colour : purple over black

This morning, I had an music idea, some notes coming from my awaking state of mind.
I put them down on FL Studio. I tried to finalize this idea this afternoon ... but I lack of time. Maybe I'll developp this idea outside CommonTone frame.

DAY 9: s o n i c b r a t

"Quand les cieux sont gris"

When skies are grey
The leaves spoke to me
It danced to the wind
And waved my grey away

Tempo: 45 Bpm
Colour: Grey

I continue to work with simple instruments - An old antique chime and Lo-fi Casio SA-5 toy keyboard through KORG Kaoss Pad III; Processed and played live through a Reaktor 5 ensemble I've designed for this piece. Some subliminal sound designs layered in during post.

A meditative piece that reflects my current state of mind.

DAY 9: LDT

"Drinking From the Water Fall"

Tempo: NA
Colour : blue

LDT: Novation XioSynth, DOD Dimension 12, Digitech Digi Delay, Electro Harmonix LPB 2ube, Zoom MRS8, assembled in Sound Forge and Acid Pro.

Feel free to comment.

DAY 8 : Eric

Tempo : 140
Color : fresh green

This morning, walking in Parc Montsouris, I was listening to some drone songs I made.
Rain has fallen.
Forgot that drone music can be enough to express feelings.

I first try to make this commontone with my bassguitar ... but it didn't come ...
So I use my guitar, again ;-)
Notes when played one time may be nice, but sometimes they need to be played more.
This time, I just plugged the guitar right into my Fostex mixer and then into my soundcard. I'm planning on using LDT gear, a LP2ube preamp from EHX, in place of my failing Fostex.
Of course, there are effects (mdsp@SmartElectronix Analog Delay, Kjaerhus audio Classic Chorus and Kjaerhus audio Classic Delay), all freeware.

DAY 8: LDT

"The Water Fall"

Tempo: ?
Colour: water

LDT: Novation XioSynth, DOD Dimension 12, Digitech Digi Delay, Electro Harmonix LPB 2ube, Zoom MRS8, assembled in Sound Forge and Acid Pro.

Feel free to comment.

DAY 8: s o n i c b r a t

"Une Berceuse Différente"

Tempo: 62 Bpm
Colour: Grey

Yet another sleepless night. My Humbucker and Kaoss Pad III

Feel free to comment.

DAY 7: LDT

"Finding The River"

Tempo: 128 BPM
Colour: Water on Rock

LDT: Novation XioSynth, Electro Harmonix LPB 2ube, Digitech Digi Delay, Zoom MRS8, assembled in Sound Forge and Acid Pro.

Feel free to comment.

DAY 7: s o n i c b r a t

"Le Garçon et le Trou"


The boy falls into a hole
The moment he closes his eyes
A place he will keep running
Towards the exit
only to never ever reach it
So he sits and stares
All day long... eyes wide, shut.

Tempo: NA
Colour: Black

An experimental sound piece using sampling of faulty cables, faulty electronics with faulty connections; microphone feedbacks; KORG Electribe AMKII, Reaktor 5, Humbucker.

Better to listen to it through headphones.