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I found myself getting frustrated with the limitations of the mk I Digitone that I had recently picked up, so I decided to get a Tonverk to replace it as a polytimbral Elektron device (even though I had gotten the DN as a replacement FM option for my Leviasynth lust...). So the DN will be getting returned, I swear it! I've still got a week and a few days to bring it back!

This week is wholly done on the Tonverk, with a couple outboard effects (Fairfield 20% More for some rhythmic grit/bleeps, Montreal Assembly PurPLL for noisy wandering noise). Pretty much a live improvisation on structure; it's a little wonky at points as a result. Could be a little more focused. So far I'm enjoying the TV but I am not entirely sure how to integrate it with the rest of my setup yet, but currently I prefer my Digitakt II for drums - I do a lot of my structuring by muting and unmuting tracks, and while that is possible with the TV subtracks, it feels like I've got to take extra steps. To me it feels like a compromise for the "gotta be able to do everything in one device" mindset. If I try to do that I'm going to run out of tracks very quickly.

Title comes from Elektron's random name generator that they build into their devices. Usually they're pretty nonsensical, but this one felt a good choice.

Yes, the DX27 electric piano I used last week has already been multisampled into the TV, because of course I did.

How many chords this week? Unknown.

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let's keep going, friends.

› process notes‹ process notes

i'm taking a "home recording for the singer songwriter" class with Philip Weinrobe through School of Song this month, and this was the first week of class. homework assignment #1 involved recording a song live with 2 microphones (big focus on preparation, mic placement, etc... and then take a small break before actually recording takes). we were instructed to record 3 takes of the song, then wait till the next day before listening and choosing which take felt most emotionally compelling. we were not to do any further processing before uploading the song, other than adjusting the balance between the 2 tracks we recorded.

i ended up recording a vocal & drum version of this song. felt very exposed, but i was happy with how it turned out and i'm learning some good lessons.

i decided to use my homework track as a starting point for my WB28 and had some time yesterday so i added a down-tuned acoustic, a couple harmonies, and did an actual mix. don't tell my professor! hope you enjoy it, and thank you for listening.

› lyrics‹ lyrics

have another go, friend

have another go

when yr facing a dead end

have another go

when yr trapped in your zone

feeling totally alone

and everyone's phone is set to the

D N D

have another go, friend

have another go

meet me at the end, friend

we'll have another go

ps: busy music week! i was able to contribute some guitar to emily for her RAD song this week. i also sent neon liminal some vocal tracks for his song this week. i haven't heard the results yet but he has warned me that it turned out VERY WEIRD so i'm excited.   :D

XO,

jwh

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My friend Kieran passed away this week, I'd known him from the rave scene in New Mexico from the late 90s on. He was an immensely kind and talented person -- you may know him as the creator of Dblue Glitch, one of the best VST plugins on the market. He was a superb music producer and just overall great guy. This is my little way of saying bye to him.

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Last week was cave diving aquatic and dark so this week we mix it up a bit.

You may ask yourself... "Is that the Royal Canadian Brass?"

A warm breeze washes over Berlin or the PNW...

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This week was super fun! I took part in the discord sample trade thing. There were SO MANY samples I loved.

This is by FAR my most dance-y song (lyrics aside, as always lmao. Wouldn't be a Dae Volta track without downer lyrics!) - Not super happy with the vocals, but I wanted to make good harmonies and with the time I had this week I didn't have time for both good lead and good harmony ha ha

› lyrics‹ lyrics

How do you teach me

how to be a man

you left us  all alone

left me with a heart to sew

Had to learn it on my own

and I think the box is broke

misaligned with the other men

but it's a label I feel safe in

you left us all alone

with no one to teach me

what I shoulda known

can't learn from a stone

or a pile of bones

you took your only way out

I almost copied you

she looks at me with eyes so proud

I couldn't follow through

you left us all alone

with no one to teach me what

I shoulda known

can't learn from a stone

or a pile of bones

You were gone for my formative years

too young to shed my tears

no one there to teach me manly things

but that let me spread my wings

you never saw who I became

you never saw me win the game of life

of life

happy

fufilled

got those I love

couldn't have done it

without you being gone

you left us all alone

with no one to teach me what

I shoulda known

can't learn from a stone

or a pile of bones

I was having trouble coming up with lyrics this week so I went through my voice notes to OCTOBER of 2024 - it was saved as a favorite, and it was so inspiring.

Sample use:

The synth is the lush sound from Janky Jams thrown into a simpler in Ableton

Kick drum, HiHat, and the weird extra percussion is Electronic Tiger's AAFP Oneshot

Snare is from MYLOWHYTHO's 4bar DLoop

The intro riser is ALSO from Electronic Tiger!

"But Dae!" you may be saying "What about that SICK AS HELL bass!?"

That is using one sample to drive another sample. I took Sleepside's NOIZRIFF and quantized it, and then used Ableton's "preserve transients" and brought the envelope down. This created a cool, but high-pitched, percussive sound.

I wanted it to feel 'looser' so I grabbed Endojo's incredible Bass Bow sample, selected the first half-ish and looped it. I then used an envelope follower on the filter AND the Gain, with a gate to keep things sharp. Next I used a VST called Manipulator, to force the sound to follow MIDI and... voila!

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Pulled some loops off of another run of sequenced high-speed scrubbing, chopped them down and you know, saturation...

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Written entirely on Dirtywave M8 Tracker

Light mastering in Audacity (normalizing/limiting/compressing).

A continuation of last week's track's outro, which was the previous week's outro, which was the previous week's outro, which...

This track is part of an ongoing series started from week 4, you can listen to the Through the Year mix on the latest week.

So, this week was part 2 of the unofficial WB friendly sample challenge (details on discord): composing week, after a week of gathering samples by a dozen WB contributors.

This also was a week of semi-vacation, so had (5x?) more time than usual to work on this.

Despite not being stressed about the deadline, it still wasn't that easy to come up with a coherent track, so it ended up more as two loops glued together awkwardly.

It's just that I may be real bad at arranging, gotta learn some more.

Anyway, using all these new samples was a real, refreshing pleasure and inspiring.

Would definitely love to do this every two weeks and continue the game.

Sample contributors shoutout:

- electronic_tiger (AAFP001 drum loop)

- N_ronvaldez (Sunset night piano)

- Lizenn (WB SAMPLE 1 and WB SAMPLE 3)

- Dustsucker (Fan 1)

- Ralphadalphia (Cas-Cas)

- TheDaeVolta (BRASS DMaj)

- Janky Jams (HelicalPad Dry Em)

- Evanericksonmusic (SPLOINK SL47)

- Sleepside (NOIZRIFF)

- Endojo (Bass Bow)

All samples, individual and the whole pack, from this friendly sample challenge, first edition, can be found here.

M8 bundle

As always, thanks for listening.

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Whoo boy... Getting this one made was not easy. I didn't have much free time this week and the weekend was all booked up. I tried to sit down and make music for a few hours on Saturday evening, but I was just way too drained after a full day out of the house and ~4 hours of driving.

On Sunday, I had some of my energy back and a samba gig got cancelled, so I suddenly found myself with some music-making time on my hands. I got to work and was able to make this very simple thing.

Hope y'all enjoy!

Have a great week, folks!!!

Link to M8 Bundle

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