In my description below, voices are assigned 2-digit numbers, takes have letters, and “sessions” have names. For example, in “Lootbug” there were 4 voices in the first take, recorded simultaneously. Then I went back and (while monitoring the playback of the first take) recorded another voice, and combined them in Sound Forge Pro 13 using “mix paste” — I avoid regular DAW multitracking, as well as linear MIDI sequences.
Hardware is in bold and software is in italics; basic utilities (like EQ, compression etc.) and modulation are omitted so it’s just the fun stuff.
BW = Bitwig
IME = Industrial Music Electronics (aka The Harvestman)
ISS = Inertia Sound Systems
MA = Minimal Audio
MI = Mutable Instruments
MN = Make Noise
MŬB = Maurizio Ŭber Basses
NE = Noise Engineering
NFA = Newfangled Audio
NI = Native Instruments
NSI = New Systems Instruments
TE = Teenage Engineering
UA = Unfilitered Audio
WF = Wavesfactory
WR = Whimsical Raps
Part 1
Krill (0:00 – 4:35)
- 01 (A) NE Incus Iteritas Alia, Cosmotronic Peradam, Aqusmatic Dedalus Delay. Sequenced by MI Marbles, modulation from MI Stages and NE Clep Diaz.
Lootbug (2:32 – 9:07) (it comes in very gradually)
- 02 (B) M0ffenzeef Shtick, Valhalla Supermassive, Minimal Audio Rift, Audiority Plexitape
- 03 (B) WR Just Friends, NE Melotus Versio, NE Rouicha Legio, Valhalla Room
- 04 (B) Arturia Easel V, u-he Twangstrom, WF Equalizer, UA SpecOps [Noise Focus, Random Freeze & Noisify], (Un)familiar Spectralsand; played on Roli Seaboard
- 05 (B) input from Madrona Aalto, frozen in UA SpecOps [Glitch Bubbler, Random Freeze, Reverse]
- 06 (C) WR Just Friends, MN Spectraphon, NE Roucha Legio, Valhalla Room, Phonolyth Velvet Machine
High Ground (8:27 – 15:09) (long fading tail)
- 07 (D) Meng Qi Wingie 2 (internal mic plus a mix of the 09 loop & feedback) through MN Strega & Arturia Minibrute 2S, u-he Twangstrom
- 08 (D) NE Manis Iteritas sequenced by BW Note Grid & 510k Seqund. Through Sound Radix SurferEQ, BW Transient Split, Phonolyth Cascade, Sinevibes Whirl, Valhalla Supermassive, UA LO-FI-AF, WF Equalizer
- 09 (D) Auza Wave Packets in Cycle-Ping mode, sequenced by MI Marbles (which is modulated by NE Clep Diaz). BW Tool for autopanning, ISS Hinder, NI Raum. Loop previously recorded, timestretched in Sound Forge Pro, and looped in BW Grid Sampler for take D, plus UnitedPlugins Retronaut.
- post FX: Valhalla Supermassive applied to the tail of the session mix.
Not Moog (13:35 – 20:48)
- 10 (E) rhythm from two instances of NE Manis Iteritas sequenced by 510k Seqund, through Psycho Circuity Big Bad Tube. One instance had Valhalla Delay, the other NE Imitor & Valhalla Room; both through NE Librae, BW Peak Limiter and Mod Sound More.
- 11 (E) drone from a snippet of the 09 loop, pitched-down and stereo-offset in Sound Forge Pro, through Valhalla Room.
- 12 (E) Madrona Aalto, (Un)familiar Spectralsand, Valhalla Supmassive. Played on Roli Seaboard.
- 13 (E) Schlappi Engineering Interstellar Radio, Xaoc Koszalin, MN Mimeophon (modulated by NSI Harmonic Shift Oscillator), WF Equalizer, MA Rift, Sound Radix SurferEQ
- 14 (E) ALM Akemie’s Castle sequenced by MN 0-Ctrl, Sonible pure:limit, BW Transient Split [NFA Invigorate on transients], UA SpecOps [FFT 256, Noise Focus & Random Freeze], Aqusmatic Dedalus Delay
- post FX: WF Casette applied to start of session, fading out to dry signal
Converted Bridges (20:15 – 26:08)
- 15 (F) NE Incus Iteritas Alia, NE Lacrima Versio, BW Grid [Heat shaper, Rasp filter], Valhalla Supermassive, FabFilter Saturn 2. Sequence is MN 0-Ctrl (same pitch lane sequence and tempo as 14 above; additional modulation from BW Grid and 0-Ctrl steps).
- 16 (F) Auza Wave Packets, UJam UFX Reverb. Sequence from another lane in 0-Ctrl, timbre modulation from WR Just Friends.
- 17 (F) Xaoc Odessa, Xaoc Koszalin, MN Mimeophon, Aegean Pitchproof, Valhalla Delay. Modulation is from Wave Packets and NE Clep Diaz synced to the 0-Ctrl.
- 18 (F) ALM Akemie’s Castle drone, FM depth modulated by IME Kermit mk2.
- 19 (F) NSI Harmonic Shift Oscillator, MI Blades (second filter audio-rate AMing the first), BW Grid [Fizz filter in parallel with Vowel filter & pluck envelope], MA Rift, BW Delay+. Modulation from IME Zorlon Cannon mk2 through MN Function, clocked by BW.
Resonator Attack (25:36 – 30:06)
- 20 (G-K, 5 takes) Steel tongue drum, Meng Qi Wingie 2, Klevgrand Brusfri, Aegean Pitchproof. Some takes also have NI Raum, Dreadbox Hypnosis, and/or Phonolyth Velvet Machine.
- 21 (L) Schlappi Interstellar Radio through MI Rings, NE Melotus Versio, Pitchproof, Valhalla Room
- 22 (L) IME Zorlon Cannon mk2 (sequenced by MI Marbles), MN Mimeophon, NE Imitor
- 23 (L) Intellijel Shapeshifter, Cosmotronic Peradam, BW Grid [LFO crossfading between Shapeshifter outputs, 2x Fizz for L/R separation], Valhalla Delay, Moog MF-104S Delay
- 24 (M) Sample from 20, pitch-bent and repeatedly processed in Phonolyth Velvet Machine to turn it into a wind howl (mixed quietly)
- post FX: timestretching in Sound Forge Pro 13 & Valhalla Plate applied to the tail as it fades out.
Part 2
Looming (0:00 – 7:17)
- 01 (A) MI Marbles sequencing MI Rings through Intellijel Shapeshifter‘s wavefolder, MI Beads with L output through Instruo DAPF into Beads’ R input, two instances of UA Sandman
- 02 (A) VCV Rack [Rigatoni Loom modulated by 3 WT LFOs, Bog Audio LMTR, Valley Plateau]
- 03 (A) MŬB Miezo 5-string bass, Madrona Virta, NE Desmodus, WF Equalizer
- 04 (B) BW Grid [pink noise S&Hd by pulse oscillator, XP filter], BW Bit-8, Wildergarden Maim, Audiority Xenoverb. Sequencing from BW step sequencers.
- 05 (B) MN Strega in unison with Arturia Minibrute 2S (tri output & osc2 sine through Mystic Circuits Blinkus, square out through Minibrute’s standard filter path), played on Minibrute’s pressure pads
Knock Knock (6:54 – 11:17)
- 06 (C) IME Zorlon Cannon mk2 (both oscillators), Rossum Morpheus modulated by MN Function (time modulated by NE Clep Diaz), NI Raum, ISS Hinder
- 07 (D) VCV [ALM Cizzle], Rast Sound Madfilter, Audiority Xenoverb, Aegean Pitchproof, Fabfilter Saturn 2
- 08 (D) TE K.O. II, UA SpecOps, Wildergarden Maim
- 09 (D) Plogue Chipsounds sequenced by 510k Seqund, HY-Plugins HY-ESG, BW Sweep, Valhalla Delay
- Post: where 09 starts, a section of part 06 slowed and heavily EQd, and Audiority Velvet Machine applied to the full mix for the rest of the session
Chemistry (10:27 – 15:05) (takes were not recorded in the order they appear in the final result)
- 10 (G) NE Ataraxic Iteritas (noise modulated by Intellijel Shapeshifter at low audio rate), through AtovProject cDVCA, Bitwig Sweep. Modulation from MI Stages & NE Clep Diaz
- 11 (F) IME Zorlon Cannon mk2 clocked by MI Stages LFO, through Rossum Morpheus (modulated by MN Function with holds from Zorlon’s gate outputs). Through Sinevibes Integer, Mod Sound More, Audiority Velvet Machine, Inphonik PCM2612, BW pitch shifter.
- 12 (E) Inear Display Lancinantes through Sinevibes Integer, sampled and pitched down, through Valhalla Plate
- 13 (G) MN Spectraphon through Xaoc Tallin, Dreadbox Hypnosis. Control from Intellijel Planar & Bela Gliss
- 14 (G) Auza Wave Packets (self-sequencing) through Mystic Circuits 0HP LPF (timbre modulated by Intellijel Shapeshifter), Cosmotronic Peradam, Rossum Morpheus, Sinevibes Integer
- post: WF Cassette & Phonolyth Velvet Machine applied over the tail of the session
Optimization (14:41 – 20:27)
- 15 (H) M0ffenzeef Shtick, MI Beads, MI Blades, Arturia Plate-140
- 16 (H) Xaoc Odessa, MN Mimeophon
- 17 (H) NE Cursus Iteritas (played on Roli Seaboard), Sonic Charge Echobode, Ujam UFX Reverb, UA SpecOps
- 18 (H) IME Zorlon Cannon mk2 & NE Ataraxic Iteritas mixed in Intellijel Planar, NE Lacrima Versio, Valhalla Delay
- 19 (I) AtovProject cDVCA (played on MN 0-Ctrl), Rossum Morpheus, NE Melotus Versio, ZPlane Peel [2x Sinevibes Whirl in series with opposite frequencies], Valhalla Room, Melda MSpectralDelay
- post: Sound Forge delay applied to tail
Emergence (19:02 – 22:38)
- 20 (J) Hadean fretless ukulele bass, Madrona Virta, PSP Pianoverb, Phonolyth Cascade
- 21 (K) extra take with the u-bass, applying holds to Cascade
- 22 (J) Audiolatry Mel-Lofi & Waldorf Streichfett mixed, NI Raum, u-he Runciter, Arturia Refract, ZPlane Peel [with Phonolyth Velvet Machine in the upper band], ISS Hinder
- 23 (J) MN Strega & Arturia Minibrute 2S, Dreadbox Hypnosis (mostly as flanger), Valhalla Delay
- 24 (L) NE Ataraxic Iteritas through Instruo DAPF (shuffling noise)
- 25 (L) NE Incus Iteritas Alia triggered by Ataraxic, Audiothing Miniverb
- 26 (M) VCV Rack [Befaco Noise Plethora, Stickam 2D Rotation, Surge Spring Reverb, 2x Surge Tuned Delay, several WT LFOs]
- post: Valhalla Vintage Verb on tail
- 27 (N) BW Grid [2x pulse oscillators & 2x lowpass LD filters] supporting the final bass note
Cover Art
Here’s the full-sized image (3K x 3K). Starting from a CC0 (Creative Commons public domain) photograph of a pile of wood chips, I just applied several different operations in Paint Shop Pro 2020 Ultimate (including extreme zoom, duplicating layers and overlaying them with different algorithms, etc.)
