What is Sound Sifting you ask? Here's what it's all about. Song: Loud PipesArtist: RatatatAlbum: ClassicsYear: 2006 Is there a more aptly named album than Classics? It's hit after hit. Montanita comes on and I think "this song embodies the Ratatat sound." Then Lex comes on and I think "no this song embodies the Ratatat sound." And so on. The arrangements are sparse. Each instrument is right up in your face. Nothing comes between the listener and the music. The album is remarkably consistent and cohesive in terms of quality and sound. When I listen to these songs, I recall the following quote, attributed to Antoine de Saint-Exupery: “Perfection is achieved, not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away.“ Loud Pipes exemplifies this ideal. When listening, I ask myself: What element would you take away? I have a hard time coming up with one. Every element of Loud Pipes is essential. And when each instrument carries such weight, just switching one for another within the arrangement is a dramatic act. For example, at 1:25, the bass drops out and is replaced by a light, high register keyboard. Dynamic variation is one of the hallmarks of these compositions. We'll explore more examples of this nature in the final section of this post. I wouldn't describe Loud Pipes as fancy, flashy, or advanced. And that's the beauty of it. Mastery of the fundamentals. Their debut, self-titled album sounds slightly less refined in comparison. For example, I love the guitar riff in Desert Eagle. But the song lacks the command in dynamics demonstrated on Classics. The sections last longer than necessary and lack enough variation to keep them fresh. Desert Eagle would have more impact if it were shorter. There isn't a single song on Classics that makes me feel that way. In a Reddit AMA, Ratatat member Evan Mast mentioned how the duo has "been figuring things out as we go since the beginning. Our first album was recorded VERY simply and we've slowly expanded things with each album. The best way to learn is by putting in work. Sometimes people with the least amount of technical knowledge make the coolest sounding records.1" Comparing Desert Eagle to Loud Pipes highlights this progression. It's satisfying to see their work become more dialed in over time. Their production techniques continue to advance with each album after Classics. Later songs show stylistic flair where there was once only practical utility. This is an observation. Not critique. Not praise. Each listener has their own preference. But Classics remains a hallmark example of how much can be accomplished with a bare minimum setup. Well maybe not bare minimum. When recording their debut album, they didn't even have guitar amps. The guitars were recorded directly into their laptop through a distortion pedal. "For Classics we upgraded to amps and microphones.2" Still pretty minimal, I'd say. There's hardly any effects processing to speak of either. The clap has some reverb on it. And it stands out because everything else is so dry. If you…
This song is the direct result of my recent field recording adventures with my brother Derek. The sounds we recorded at the historic quarry and sculpture park have now been reorganized into music. It may well be my favorite song to date. Take a listen to the full track below. Then, we'll walk through a few examples of everyday sounds that were transformed to create the unique texture of this song. Main sound: Airplane Flyover Derek recorded this sound sample while we were eating lunch. Check out the unedited sample in clip A, below. Clip B is the airplane track from my demo in solo. The original sample is loaded into Cubase's stock granular synthesizer*, Padshop. I spread the sample across my keyboard and used a tuner to approach true pitch. However, plane flyby is characterized by ever changing pitch. So, the longer the note is held the more the pitch varies, and the more it sounds like a plane. Short notes can be tuned more accurately, and therefore sound more like an instrument. Let's hear a few examples: 0:00: a quick arpeggio run to set the mood, a la this classic boss theme 0:04 - 0:15: The one place the note is held long enough to recognize the original airplane sample. Compare to... 0:16 - 1:06: These arpeggiated chords are unrecognizable from the original sample. They sound more like a haunting old keyboard. 1:06 - 1:28: Here the sound morphs into a menacing melody. It's possible to recognize the original sample in this part now that you have heard it. Art OMI lunch spot *Granular synthesis can use any provided sound and turn it into something completely new. It does so by breaking down a sound into many microscopic segments. Then, these segments can be played back in varying order, speed, pitch, etc. Click here to learn more about the basics of granular synthesis. Sound first heard at 0:06 A scraping texture, as seen recorded at Art OMI in video 3 of this post. Triggered with Padshop. Sound first heard at 0:20 A metallic hit on an old rusty truck at the quarry (pictured, right). Triggered with Padshop. Alternate pitches can be heard starting at 1:07. A deeper pitched section starts at 1:27. Sound first heard at 0:27 This is a sample of metal spoke hits, triggered with Padshop. Hear the original sound in videos 1 and 4 of the quarry post. Now is a good time to mention that all of these sounds have additional reverb added, but no further effects processing. Nonetheless, the result is otherworldly Experimental techniques: My high excitement level for this song seems to correlate directly to the amount of brand new techniques it contains. Padshop My first time using this synth. Awed by the endless possibilities it presents. Will have to dig deeper, but having several instances of it in this project proved a successful start. Unusually high percentage of "non-musical" sounds I almost always use some oddball sample somewhere in a song. And yes, there are a couple…
Beverly Pepper, Paraclete, 1973
Cor-Ten steel, 192" x 108" x 342"
Photograph by Aislinn Wilde.
My inspiration to buy a field recorder can be traced back to the moment I saw Beverly Pepper’s, Paraclete sculpture at Art Omi five years ago.
The steel structure bellows deep, rich tones from the slightest tap. Once inside the pyramid, it’s irregular shape warps any sound you make. The tight, resonant reverberations evolve as often as you move your ears.
"When the quarry was abandoned, much of the equipment and structures were left just as it was (as if the quarrymen had gone for lunch and never returned). The site has stayed the same, plus some rust, until now."Derek brought his trusty Zoom recorder on our hike through the defunct Chester-Hudson Quarry. We stocked up on rusty metallic samples that I can't wait to try out. In the clips below, you will see us tapping away at the rusty old machine parts. Even better, you'll hear the sounds they emit as if echoing back through time. https://jeffromejko.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/7e6170a8ba484e92aaa8903ec7c1d54e.movhttps://jeffromejko.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/19d8674fe1f54f47b14b1ce5bb256060.movhttps://jeffromejko.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/8b0d080986884bb68429620bd26b5acb.movhttps://jeffromejko.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/70d495e0840e4ebc9aa707103c399c4f.mov
