Three weeks ago, I said something about an album named grummelig.
The good news: there’s progress! The bad news: still no release date. But let’s look at what I’ve been up to in more detail.
Progress
Like in the last post, I’m gonna look at it on a per-track basis. Note that I already have a prototypical mastering setup, and an idea or two for the booklet. Of the six tracks, three are practically done, one is nearly done, another two still need some work. Now in the actual track order:
Nichtfarben
The biggest hurdle on this one was what I called the A-100-Solo, but which ended up being a three-part modular section piece.
The question was: should I build a patch and then write for that, or should I compose something and then build a patch to play it?
I started by building a patch (at that time, still aiming for a proper solo):
Learning about playing with noise with this was fine. Playing an actual composition not so much.
So I sat down and wrote something in semi-classical notation:
Three parts. I then set up a patch for all of them, recorded something to control it into the sequencer and was practically done.
What’s left to do? Some details in the mix. And arpeggiator settings for the A section’s granular noise synth. Nearly done.
Alcubierres Stimme
I put the pieces together. As expected, this is tricky from an audio engineering standpoint. Lots of five- and six-string bass guitars, some of them pitched down. You get the idea. But it’s practically done.
grummelig
Wrote it, recorded it, engineered it. The fun part was to record some background ambience by setting up microphones in the condo during the middle of the night:
The piano part uses NI’s Una Corda preset. And there may be an organ hidden in the mix as well.
The actual composition is a tricky exercise in enharmonic shift:
Clocking in at just over four minutes, it’s the album’s shortest track. And it’s practically done.
Ephemeridenzeit
I found a strange HALion patch I had done called “Odd Toms”. It’s fantastic for this track!
I still need to work on the composition for this one. And it’s the next one that will receive further attention: it needs some work.
Kausalist
The first track I started to work on properly – and the first one to get practically done. Check.
Schwarzschild
I set up the sequences and set up a large bunch of VSTis to perform a mockup of this cluster over the entire MIDI note range. This is a tricky one: I could use it the way it is right now – but most probably, I’d want to use tons of hardware synths. And then record them. Time to get the digiface and digital console from the basement…
So this one needs some work, but if I decide so later, I can also use it as it is now.
Release Date
I said it before, there’s none at this moment. Rather, there’s two scenarios.
Short-Term Scenario
This scenario takes place if I’m productive for the next three weeks to complete the album in that time. In that case, the release date will be January 31st or something like that. Maybe a little earlier, maybe a little later.
Long-Term Scenario
If I miss that end of January deadline, then I’ll be working on the 2019 RPM Challenge through all (or most) of February. Yes, there’ll be another album! Modulars!
Which means I’ll continue by early March. And go on a long vacation by mid-March lasting until mid-April. Which means in this scenario the release date will be sometime by the end of spring. Mid to late May most probably.
Decision Milestone
So when will I choose which scenario will take place? Most probably not before the last week of January (around January 28th).
And with that – a nice 2019 to all of you! I’ll do at least two albums this year! Maybe more! Yay!
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