tom moody

"Squid Station" [4 MB .mp3]

Used the Octatrack to midi-trigger and record the Sidstation synth (pulled out of mothballs) for some gritty and grumbly 80s computer game-type sounds. The only thing not Sid here is a piano line based on a slightly distorted Rhodes sample.

"Where and Who" [5.2 MB .mp3]

Used another Reaktor synth, "Aerobic," to crank out some remix fodder (ten loops in all) that was then moved over to the Octatrack, where it was layered together and augmented with some piano and more synth. The dopy slap bass riff at :17 is a preset and I did most of the rest. The ending is kind of pretty.
First messed with this instrument five years ago, when I posted the above screenshot. Time flies when you're having beats.

"Steam-Powered Jambox" [3.5 MB .mp3]

6th in a series of Reaktor Limelite remixes (will probably give this a rest for a while after this).
The preset is called "Steam Power." Once again loops were recorded (4 in all) and moved over to the Octatrack for assembly.
The first theme is Reaktor's (except for the snare); since it was only two repeating pitches I wrote the second theme, recorded that for the 2nd and 3rd loops (with and without reverb), then recorded the drums separately for the 4th loop (and added some reverb later).

"Limelite Tab One Remix" [3.2 MB .mp3]

Fifth in a series of short remixes of Reaktor Limelite patches.
Here, I did everything but the part that sounds like Plaid (at 0:24), although that part is pretty nice, hats off again to the unknown Native Instruments contractor. I'm only adding things like basslines, reverb, new parts, etc, if the piece seems empty without them. This is an exercise in dismantling & elongation of a 4-bar preset.

"Behind the Rind" [4.7 MB .mp3]

4th in a series of remixed Reaktor Limelite grooves. This is drastically altered version of the "Behind the Rhine" preset, with a more infectious beat and a modest dropout. Minimal sub-rave.

"The Rice Must Grow" [3.6 MB .mp3]

Techno miniature written "from scratch" using Reaktor Limelite - that is, starting from a blank sequencer template but employing the available samples and controls. The file was then maximized with the PSP Vintage Warmer plugin (which I've been using more lately -- supposedly it muddies the low-end frequencies but I can't hear it -- my production is pretty much all muddy).
Compositionally this alternates between drums and simple-melody-with-drums and ends abruptly around 1:30 (so what else is new?).

"Tripod Shuttle" [7.7 MB .mp3]

Two Reaktor Limelite patches ("Tripod" and "Shuttle") were recorded and mixed down to eight loop files (I wrote a couple of the riffs).
I moved the loops over to the Octatrack and applied timestretch so I could interweave them into a new tune.
This has a bouncy, early Plaid feel that I really like.

"Uhbeanan" [2.6 MB .mp3]

A rare vocal sample (for me), some kind of scat signing I guess, that I shortened.
I took a couple of folders of the Reaktor Limelite "raw" samples (including that one) and moved them into the Octatrack as source material. This was written fairly quickly and but it was one of those "aha" moments.

"Limelite Coin Op Remix" [3.6 MB .mp3]

On the triphop tip, baby. (Whatever that means.) Limelite is a Reaktor virtual groovebox and most of this is straight-up from one of the presets, called "Coin Op." There are two keyboard riffs here (or rather, modulated and effected samples of keyboard sounds) - I wrote the first one and the second is by __________ (Native Instruments contractor - a genius). I also added the bass line and some percussion. I can justify making "music by kit" as, well, it's my ear and my final say, and this is giving me something I enjoy listening to, certainly more than if I just recorded twelve bars or so of Limelite playing. More of these are coming, I think.

"Soul Fusion Disassembly" [6 MB .mp3]

This sort of resembles "Fusion Disassembly" -- some of the same instruments and ideas were used -- but this has wah-wah guitar sounds made with the modular synth running throughout.
I had done the thing on the Octatrack groovebox but thought it needed a fuller sound so I retrofit the bass and e-piano around the existing 2.5 minute file. This got tricky at the end with the piano "call and response" parts so I kind of made a joke out of it with some bad (overdramatic) comping in the chords.