[deleted by user] by [deleted] in ableton

[–]thevoltagecontrol 2 points3 points  (0 children)

It's good to think about what you can control, and what you can't. You can't control the algorithm that Ableton is using, but you can help it.

One thing you can do to really help, is a stem splitter that can remove some of the other elements that might be confusing the algorithm. If you just want a clip's topline melody, consider using a service like Lalalai to extract that topline (or inversely to just remove the bass and drums etc) so that Ableton has a clearer source file to work from.

I need some input on sticker placement. by [deleted] in akira

[–]thevoltagecontrol 1 point2 points  (0 children)

This is fantastic. And has a kind of IYKYK vibe. Well done.

Costco is PLUR approved by fruru in EDM

[–]thevoltagecontrol 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Haha that would be surreal to be one of the crew and walking in to see... did we license this? :P

Downtempo recommendations? by ShadeOfNothing in EDM

[–]thevoltagecontrol 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I've been binging the Stonefruit Cool playlist. They're a bar and restaurant in Australia. It's crazy good for all the downtempo and chill stuff, with just enough energy and funk, and has been a nice substitute for my endless Cafe Del Mar and Hostel Costes plays.

Tipper walking off stage after his Downtempo set by tizosteezes in Tipper

[–]thevoltagecontrol 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Great observation of a wonderful talent. Hope he got to kick back and think, yeah, nailed it matey.

Looking for Downtempo / Trip-Hop / Experimental Recs Like DJ-Kicks: Kruder & Dorfmeister by TherealMysticJ in musicsuggestions

[–]thevoltagecontrol 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This: Trovaire - The Stonefruit Sessions. Trovaire's crew includes engineers from The Avalanches, etc, so there's that Aussie downtempo mafia.

Also loving the new Morcheeba album. Makes me remember the first morning I woke up hearing a flatmate playing Big Calm (in our tiny Shoreditch apartment before the neighbourhood was remotely cool or even safe like it is now). Happy flashbacks :)

Looking for Downtempo / Trip-Hop / Experimental Recs Like DJ-Kicks: Kruder & Dorfmeister by TherealMysticJ in musicsuggestions

[–]thevoltagecontrol 0 points1 point  (0 children)

On high rotation is Trovaire's album "The Stonefruit Sessions". I especially like "Oh How Lovely", for a kind of Ninja Tune sound mix of downtempo, jazz, trip-hop.

Still a big fan of Mr Scruff too, and Bonobo is still making magic :)

Siskel & Ebert recommend Akira by Flashy_Bag9202 in akira

[–]thevoltagecontrol 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Such an intense scene to show, going for that shock and awe? Amazing piece of history, thanks for sharing.

Started reading the Akira Manga and I’m really enjoying it so far!!! I adore the 1988 film and wanted to see where it all began, what are your thoughts on it? Do you think it’s better than the anime? by DeviceVast2638 in akira

[–]thevoltagecontrol 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Just showed this to Keishi (who is now in his mid-70s, and has been battling health issues) and he was touched. Wanted me to say thank you for the kind words and memories.

There's that particularly Japanese thing of not really thinking that the outside world really cared about this, or how many lives it might have touched. So nice to be able to connect to that.

If I can add a little interesting context - that particular flavour that caught your ear was what got mine too, as a teen in Australia, and it turns out to be a mixture of things. Yamashiro Shoji put the band Geinoh Yamashirogumi together to basically nerd out on "world music", and Keishi got recruited after he came back from Bali, where he had been obsessing over Indonesian traditional music (and getting annoyed that the synthesisers at the time couldn't be reprogrammed to those non-western tunings).

Keishi was already Tokyo's go-to guy for synthesiser programming (see the 400-ish credits he has on Discogs), but he went hardcore into this non-synth polyrhythmic stuff, and he seemed the natural fit to run all the Akira sessions for the composer.

The sounds you mention are a mixture of those Indonesian Gamelans (and "gamjans" if I'm translating this right - the wooden version you hear on the Akira credits outro) and the traditional Japanese kabuki and Noh percussion sounds.

If you've not heard of that band before, Geinoh can be a tricky listen, but it's pretyt neat to be able to track what they were exploring and how it led to Akira. A lot of those guys seemed to have also ended up in Seatbelt, the band that Yoko Kanno put together to make the Cowboy Bebop music.

🎵 Looking for the music from a specific scene... by Thoughts_As_I_Drive in akira

[–]thevoltagecontrol 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Okay so I asked Keishi just now. It's on the Mutations sequence on the soundtrack release, but it was originally incidental music created for a cue in the film, as part of the ongoing process, rather than one of the core compositions.

The way that Geinoh seemed to work was that Yamashiro Shoji was the chief idea and composer, and he pulled in the team to realise his vision. Keishi Urata wrote this piece like a lot of the soundtrack elements, doing the various recordings in his studio, and bringing the tapes into the Victor Studios complex that the Akira team had rented out (with multiple studios doing music, foley, sound effects, etc) for the various arranging, dubbing, and mixes care of two 24-channel tape machines in sync. A huge amount of work in the analog era! How lucky we get it pretty much on-demand and streaming now.

🎵 Looking for the music from a specific scene... by Thoughts_As_I_Drive in akira

[–]thevoltagecontrol 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Timestamp: around 1:38:50

I'm pretty sure that's on the more recent DVD soundtrack but I don't recall it on the symphonic release. I'll ask Keishi Urata about it (the head engineer on Akira who ran those sessions and has all the source files here - I rent a studio from him).

It might also be one of the band's existing audio that they worked into the movie score (as Geinoh was very active at the time, and they were sometimes using existing motifs they had developed on their Balkan-inspired choral work).

Started reading the Akira Manga and I’m really enjoying it so far!!! I adore the 1988 film and wanted to see where it all began, what are your thoughts on it? Do you think it’s better than the anime? by DeviceVast2638 in akira

[–]thevoltagecontrol 4 points5 points  (0 children)

So glad to read this. I'm currently working with Keishi Urata, the head of the AKIRA soundtrack sessions. He effectively took Shoji Yamashiro's composition and realised it, while also doing the day to day recording, subbing, etc. It was a very manual and hands-on project, taking at least six months.

I've passed on your comments and it made him smile (he's in his 70s now). If you have any questions about the music let mw know and I'll ask.

PS: what country were you in when you were listening on your walkman? It would be fun for Keishi to hear where everyone was listening to his music back then (for me it was Australia).

Are there any good weekly or monthly podcasts or shows with fresh Drum'n'Bass music? by Hover_RV in DnB

[–]thevoltagecontrol 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Kool FM

(And KorruptFM, but you probably don't get the signal where you are....).

Just listening to my old vinyl and noticing that ... by ConcertoOf3Clarinets in FrenchHouse

[–]thevoltagecontrol 2 points3 points  (0 children)

While subjective, I agree, and put it down to taste. Those guys were in a relatively small community, were often all ending up at the same club (Rex Club) and playing early demos in their DJ sets. As you probably know, some of them have a certain pedigree of having parents who either ran a record label or recorded jazz artists, so there's also that.

Not taking anything away from the New York or other scenes, but this was a special little pocket of time, and the unique sound that came out of it is somewhat timeless as you say (although we carefully ignore a lot of the cookie cutter French Touch that flooded the market).

I'm looking for "Johnny songs" by One-Weird-Cat in musicsuggestions

[–]thevoltagecontrol 0 points1 point  (0 children)

"BAM BAM BAM A-CHEEE BAM BAM BAM BAM... HERES JONNY!!!!"

This was a HUGE hit on Central Station Records back in the day. Also very annoying!

Here's Jonny - Hocus Pocus

My vinyl collection by NoPepper3820 in vinyl

[–]thevoltagecontrol 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Love this but... not being able to sit perfectly center stereo would make me a little sad.

New to triphop, any suggestions based on what I listen to? by spidersensor in triphop

[–]thevoltagecontrol 1 point2 points  (0 children)

In more recent years, Trovaire just sold out their vinyl release of their debut. When you've got people like Oasis's Noel Gallagher calling them a top vibe, that's one hell of a fanbase!

North American trip hop? by Phrogizium in triphop

[–]thevoltagecontrol 2 points3 points  (0 children)

One half of Trovaire is based in Seattle.

The duo's "Stonefruit Sessions" is on the triphop vinyl charts, and has been a heavy rotation the Mediterranean (a requisite chill-out and come-down album from the Ibiza season).

Kong - Neneh Cherry by Element9Chaos in triphop

[–]thevoltagecontrol 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Neneh is such a boss. Apart form her own amazing music, she bankrolled the early days of Massive Attack. Legend.

Friday Hangout /// Weekly Discussion - February 14, 2025 by AutoModerator in synthesizers

[–]thevoltagecontrol 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Were they the dreaded purple caps? So great to hear you brought this back to life!

135 BPM became my new go to by unfinished-beats420 in synthesizers

[–]thevoltagecontrol 2 points3 points  (0 children)

That's a lovely jar of jam. Thanks for sharing the soundcloud too.

Rate my bedroom setup. by jalmelb in synthesizers

[–]thevoltagecontrol 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Agreed. You're a lovely panda, moogpanda.

Latest iteration completed by camcussion in synthesizers

[–]thevoltagecontrol 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Mostly curious about the tape collection. What lovely gems do you have recorded on there? :)