samedi 27 novembre 2021

Kitchen Notes : Circumpolar on Awaiting the Dawn

 

La dernière grosse découverte du label Alfa Matrix est sans conteste le duo suédois Circumpolar qui après 2 magnifiques EP a sorti son premier album Awaiting the Dawn confirmant une identité sonore sombre, envoutante et unique.
Patrik et Jonas ont bien voulu nous faire partager les joies données par les machines de chez Elektron, l'arrivée de l'overbridge et confirment que Reason est probablement la STAN la plus utilisée par les artistes derrière les chefs-d'oeuvres les plus appréciés du podcast.

The last big discovery from Alfa Matrix label was with no doubt the swedish duo Circumpolar who, after 2 wonderful EPs, just released their first LP Awaiting the Dawn, attesting a dark, bewitching and unique sonic identity.
Patrik and Jonas were kind enough to share the joy they had using Elektron machines, the associated overbridge release and confirmed that Reason is probably the most used DAW by most of the artists behind the masterpiece we apreciate on the podcast.

Gears and software

What gears/software did you use for Awaiting the Dawn ?

It's a bit difficult to remember all the gear that we have used on this album, due to the fact that all songs have taken quite some time to finish (approx. 1,5 years).

Hardware:

Behringer PRO-1, Roland TR-8, Roland JV-1080, Modal Argon 8M, Elektron Analog 4, Elektron Digitakt, Elektron Model Cycles, Yamaha A3000 sampler, Access Virus C, Behringer DeepMind 12D, LXR Drum Machine, DSI Mopho, Eventide Blackhole Reverb, Mackie ProFX 30 Mixingdesk. KRK-Rokit 8 G2 Monitors and KRK-10S2 Sub-bass.

Software:

Reason 10, Soundtoys 5, Spectrasonics Omnisphere 2, u-he Repro-5, Native Instruments Reaktor 6, D16 Decimort 2, iZotope Ozone 9 and u-he Presswerk. The last 2 for mastering duties.

Your favorite gear(s)/software(s) ?

All of them! ;-)

We recently purchased a Korg Wavestate, so that is our favorite right for the moment. It will for sure be used on the next album.

 

Any evolution in your setup ?

Sadly.. software! (laughter) no, but really. Elektron Overbridge was a fantastic 'evolution'. We used it quite a lot in fact. It will certainly be very useful when we will be playing live in the future as well. It is the perfect solution/combination between hardware and software. Never ending possibilities with this one..and it can never go wrong.
 

Sound Design

Do you use/tweak presets  ? 

Sure, probably 5 out of 10 times we start with a preset that we find appealing and then tweak it until we like it. Why start from scratch to try to build a patch if you find a preset close to what you want from the start? We don't see a point in that…

Do you design you own sound  ? On which synth/plugin in particular ?

Absolutely, we are layering samples to make fat drums (low/dark toms for the most part), or making pads/samples that sticks out in the mix. Usually we use samples that we sampled ourselves. Any hardware sampler or software sampler will do. It really depends on what sound we are working with, and what role it has in the song that we are working at that moment. We often use many drum machines and trigger multiple sounds at the same time and then re-sample it.

Personal synth story

Our "first date" with the Elektron Analog 4. It was instant love from the first day! And we nailed the baseline for the song The Rain Will Burn, (from our first EP) in minutes after we got it. From then the Analog 4 has become a true workhorse for us. We also like to use the internal sequencer to sequence other hardware as well. It works really well for sequencing drums or any other drum machine. One of the early memories of this machine is that we programmed 'Murderous' by Nitzer Ebb, just to see if it could do it..and it definitely could!

 

Producing/mixing method

Do you produce/mix in the box or do you use mainly external gears (effect/comp/eq...) ?

All mixing is done in the box, and we use Reason 12 for that task. Mastering is also done in the box, and we mainly use iZotope Ozone 9. However, we have tested a few hardware compressors and eq´s but we was never really satisfied with the result. The main advantage when mastering with software is that you can automate things any way you like.

Producing is a little bit different. It could start with a synth-bassline or a drum loop, a sample we really like or whatever, and then we build the track from that. We really like both hardware and software. As long as we get the result we want it doesn't matter if it is software or hardware, really. Although, hardware is a bit cooler…

What is your most painful / enjoyable step in track production ? Sound design, arrangement, mixing, mastering ?

Pain: Mixing and mastering.
Joy: When a song is finished.


Contact info

Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/Circumpolar1/

mercredi 24 novembre 2021

Electraumatisme du 24/11/2021

D'extraits de quelques sorties réjouissantes aux numérisations de bandes magnétiques quasi inaudibles, encore une édition d'Electraumatisme qui creuse la veine Dark-Electro/EBM.



Phobos Reactor - Superspreader
Dread Risks - Obliteration Complex
U.S.O.C.A. - Pirmais Sniegs
Batch ID - Joy Ride
Circumpolar - A Celestial Ocean
KALT - The anger device
U-Tek - Das mass der dinge
Mulphia - (take) Your Place
Globalwavesystem - (To Live Is Christ) Commitment
Neuroverse - Straylight
Noxious Fraction - Liberation
Emetic - Necromania


Release of the week


 













mardi 16 novembre 2021

Playlist Electraumatisme du 16/11/2021 - A dada sur mon Biden

On ne vend peut-être plus de sous-marins nucléaires, mais on exporte encore de l'EBM, jusqu'au Mexique ! Cette livraison d'Electraumatisme n'aurait pas dû avoir lieu, mais je ne pouvais pas résister à l'envie de vous faire partager quelques nouveautés.
Puis pour faire bonne mesure, la seconde partie est consacrée à des production venant uniquement des Etats-Unis.


Circumpolar - We will die again
Neuroactive - Recall
Operator 0 - Funkashenko
Ground to Dust - Some Assembly required
Heavy Water Factory - We good enough
Life In Sodom – Souvenirs
Hide - Wear your Skin
High Functioning Flesh - Confuse the Call
SPF 1000 - Nocturnal Emission
High Functioning Flesh - Invoking phantoms
Rendered Harmful - The darkest day
Hungry Lucy - Grave (Digger Mix)
Inari Alchemist - Serpentine


Releases of the week


 







Neuroactive - Morphology Redux


 







V/A - EBM in FRANCE​.​.​. We are Still Stomping 


 








Download : http://electraumatisme.info/broadcast/20211116.mp3


mercredi 10 novembre 2021

Electraumatisme du 10/11/2021

La production Dark-electro/Indus recèle encore bien des mystères inexplorés, même sur les sorties contemporaines. Electraumatisme essaye encore d'en éclaircir un bout dans cette édition régulière


Bridge Street Army - Cesspit
Human Vault - As The Beggars
Matt Hart - To the core
The Quinsy - Le Vide
Contaminated Intelligence - Healing
Batch ID - Them Steps
VZOID - Hardcore
Continues - Unsweetened
MC1R - False Friend (Pyrroline Remix)
Emile Strunz - People Who You Know (Who Can't Say No)
Wulfband - Platzmachen
Mouth Of Indifference - Phenomenon Field
Sins - Cops And Christians
Circumpolar - Lost In Time


Release of the week


 







Download : http://electraumatisme.info/broadcast/20211110.mp3


mercredi 3 novembre 2021

Playlist Electraumatisme du 03/11/2021 - Authentik Dark-Electro

Seconde partie de podcast consacrée à l'authentik Dark-Electro ce soir dans Electraumatisme, le genre de prédilection de la maison. Donc rien de sautillant ni propre à faire des pompes, mais pleins de sons très variés dilués dans des ambiances qui sentent la cave pour des productions à la qualité variable mais toujours intéressantes.

89s† & Petra Flurr - Near Death
B.AE.R.T. - Beyound known space
Frame of Mind - Nothing
In Strict Confidence - Become An Angel
The Capharnaüm - Beyond the World
Guilt Trip - The bright side of lies
The Holocaust Humanity - Alive
Cross Halved Joint – Closed Eyes, Chained Soul
Human Decay - Worried (C Remix)
Digital Slaughter – Moontrap
ICZX - LAIAD
Cable Bends Steel - Third Reality


Release of the week


 








Download : http://electraumatisme.info/broadcast/20211103.mp3