early 90's IDM

[tripton]

hey guys,

I've been listening a lot to early Warp-style 'intelligent techno' lately (Blackdog, Autechre, B12) and I was wondering if any of the gearheads out here could give me an idea what the studio of those guys might have looked like; I mean I know these where the days of ROM based digital synthesizers like the Korg M1 and Roland JD-800, but I don't think these were used in IDM; probably they were still using analog gear and FM synths?

 

[damon]

Ah, good days indeed. The Artificial Intelligence album was what snared me into what is now a 11 year career as an electronica addict. ;-] As a side note, part of Black Dog Productions became Plaid... and RDJ had quite a few tracks that he was not credited for between the two AI compilations.

Also, check out Human Mesh Dance, the Spacetime Continuum album entitled Sea Biscuit... and be sure to get Crunch Block Wind, if you can find it.

I have no idea how most of these people did their work, but I've had little difficulty getting similar sounds out of my more modern synths. I'd imagine you're dead on with your guess about ROM based synths...

Not a lot of interviews from back then. Truly a labor of love in that era (not that it isn't now -- even in Germany the rephlex braindance nights get only a few hundred people).

 

[Volantiz]

i've made some music in that style.. the gear i had most use for is actually a jd800 and two k4r's. I also used a nord micro modular, nordlead, CS40m, pulsar2 for effects and a couple of distboxes. I know that theese groups use ALOT of sampling. I also know that autechre nowadays use nord modular key, nordlead, roland r8, ensoniq EPS, an old casio sampler, kyma, and some other stuff...

Imho it's not so much about the gear.. it's alot more about how you use them! If you really know how to use a powerful synthesizer like for example the roland jd800 (which isn't even close to as powerful as newer samplebased synthesizers.. but still much cooler imho).. then you can probably make those really wierd sounds that we all here like so much!

ohyeah.. it's also alot about effects.. don't use them with care! Use them all at the same time and produce some chaos! Sampling is a really good thing too.. sample just about anything and totally trash up the sample.. turn it, twist it, jump on it, scream at it, do everything to it! I really recommend some real analog filters here.. something like the filter from a MS20 works great here.. try to control the filter in all imaginable ways!

Just make it sound good

 

[mano 1]

I have one word for you: HAUJOBB

Checkt he phenomenal albums "Freeze Frame Reality" and "Matrix"

nothing to do with the movie... It was before actually

 

[Volantiz]

haujobb... ooohyeaaahh!

that's some real music.. frekkin' art!
One of my 2 absolute favourite groups...

ohyeah.. i forgot to mention that the synthesizers i mentioned that i used in my last post.. that would be the synthesizers i used the most in that project.. add ~10-15 more to that list
..just to make things clear

 

[tripton]

Hehe, glad I'm not the only one on this forum who listens to that stuff. Sometimes, judging by the number of 'best synth for trance' topics, one wonders....

Imho it's not so much about the gear.. it's alot more about how you use them!

of course it is, but I was just curious....

something like the filter from a MS20 works great here..

I'd LOVE to play around with a MS20, they're even not THAT expensive (around $1000 on eBay), but just today I heard scary tales from a local technician who fixes vintage gear for a living, about how costly repairs on those babys can be :s

Truly a labor of love in that era (not that it isn't now -- even in Germany the rephlex braindance nights get only a few hundred people).

Yeah, same over here. I know all about the labor of love called organizing IDM clubnights..... although we DID manage to have our venue sold out last week, with Funkstörung topping the bill -- notice the typo

 

[Mickey Mouse]

A braindance thread! Yes finially! god its been ages since I saw a thread about this music. RDJ, early squarepusher, autechre, B12, blackdog, lfo.....

I have a whole crap load of interviews hidden away on my hard drive with autechre. They used simple gear, some early samplers with little amounts of storage, and did some circut bending.... mashing up sounds. Then got a nord modular and processed things though that. IMHO Pioneers for this genra of music, and music in general.

Aphex Twin claimed that he made his own synth's for a while, and it is known that he is a synth collector, using all types of things and sampling incorperated into his tunes.

Squarepusher.... my favorite artist! He only used a simple drum machine and some fm synth's for his early albums (buzz caner - choas a.d., feed me wierd things, hard normal daddy...), and played bass guitar on his tracks. But then aquired more gear like an mpc sampler and more fx boxes, but even on his go plastic album he didnt use a computer at all, just an external effects processor (forgot the name...harmonizer and dsp effects processor) and mangled his drum programmings.

Most people who make this kind of music now adays, use mainly computers for all of it. Programs like Reaktor, Max/MSP, supercollider, and loads of vst plug ins.

But I think the reason people dont make that much "IDM" music is because its very technical and complicated, and you have to know a lot about sound design, theory, programming. You have to know how things work, fx, synthesis, drum programming... all of it.

Its a lot about knowing what your doing, and which sounds you use.

Venetian Snares, a new upcomming artist signed to planet µ, says that he only uses med sound studio to program his drums, and logic for sequencing, and a couple of fm synth's.... with that limited equipment he makes incredible music, mind boggling.

Sooner or later "IDM"/braindance/glitch music WILL catch on, and it will be great

I make some glitchy tunes with a pretty small set up: SID Station, KorgMS2000, Gameboy (lsdj), Korg EM1, casio vl-tone, a multieffects pedal, Reason, ReCycle, Max/MSP, supercollider, Cubase, Reaktor, FM7, loads of vst's and custom vst's/applications, Live, and a myriad of freeware app's.

for some good new "IDM" tunes check out

www. rephlex.com
www.planet-mu.com
www.schematic.net
www.tigerbeat6.com
www.warprecords.com
www.zodrecords.com
www.hymenrecords.com

 

[damon]

A braindance thread! Yes finially! god its been ages since I saw a thread about this music. RDJ, early squarepusher, autechre, B12, blackdog, lfo.....

;-] Yeah, not a lot of us out there.

Sooner or later "IDM"/braindance/glitch music WILL catch on, and it will be great

How long have people been saying this? I'm not holding my breath.

And, frankly, I think I'd toss chunks and unscrew my head if I saw Carson Daily interviewing Luke Vibert on Cribs. My girl would have to keep me away from sharp objects.

I make some glitchy tunes with a pretty small set up: SID Station, KorgMS2000, Gameboy (lsdj), Korg EM1, casio vl-tone, a multieffects pedal, Reason, ReCycle, Max/MSP, supercollider, Cubase, Reaktor, FM7, loads of vst's and custom vst's/applications, Live, and a myriad of freeware app's.

Odd gear list. ;-] I just recently started working with supercollider. It's interesting. I use absynth, metasynth, a waldorf xtk, a fizmo rack and kontakt to make similar music.

You ought to check out Arovane, if you haven't yet. Uwe Zahn's the mind behind it. Amazing stuff.

 

[tripton]

I have an almost completely virtual setup (apart from a MicroModular): Reaktor, Absynth, FM7, Kontakt, Cubase SX, Audiomulch , Bidule , and all the freeware plugins I can find (check out Bram and Destroy Fx @ Smartelectron:x.

Thing is, I've been looking around for some hardware add ons. All I hear these days is of people selling their gear (Funkstörung, Styrofoam...) to go all software. Dunno, I have the feeling I've been missing out on something by starting off with nothing but software some 2 odd years ago. I've gotten quite 'technical' with it, but I miss a more intuitive approach, fiddling around with cables and knobs and all -- and the standard answer: get a MIDI controller (I HAVE those) just don't cut it. That's why I called this thread 'early' (pre-computer) IDM. And let's face it: I'd happily trade in 2 or 3 recent Autechre cd's if I get to keep their early/mid 90's stuff (Cichlisuite playing right now, .... oops that's 1997 )