Equiloud & Leisure-B - fret_1 :: Geometric Motion Graphics Inspired by Autechre :: Video

Equiloud & Leisure-B
fret_1
[Humanworkshop :: 2010]

I just stumbled across this visually dazzling video by Germany based motion graphics artist Usselino a.k.a. EQUILOUD. that was initially inspired by the track "Vose In" by Autechre. When Equiloud's pal Leisure-B swung by for a beer, he took a peek at the video's initial render test and became inspired to compose an original soundtrack that would compliment the dynamics of the visuals even more. The below music video titled fret_1 is the result, and they really nailed it. 




Artist notes:

fret_1 was made with Cinema 4d 11.5 and its Mograph, Deformer Objects (like Explosion FX) and Particle Emitters. Also, After Effects CS4 was used for all the compositing work and some 2.5D-Animations. Inside After Effects, different Plug-Ins like Twitch and Optical Flares from videocopilot.net were also applied. Of course a whole bunch of standard Plug-Ins like Levels,Time-Remapping, Glow, Blur etc, were involved.

Usselino originally created the video based on the Autechre track "Vose In". After showing the video to Leisure, both gentlemen figured that a change of tune might not be a bad idea.

The audio work was then completely redone by using Ableton Live for the sequencing, and NI's Massive and Battery for instrumentation of the harmonies and rhythms. Stay tuned for presets of that.

Usselino:
"I personally very much appreciate geometric primitives. They have a certain perfection to them and appear very statical. So why not play around with them and make them more vivid somehow, and with that more interesting for a broader audience? How can I do it, and make other people enjoy it as well?

What i first came up with was this little piece: vimeo.com/11949589
Within a couple of months, my efforts evolved themselves into fret_1. After I met Gerrit I was hoping he could create an alternative audiotrack for it. Well, he did! And this is our cooperation´s result.
Hope you like it! (we do)."

Leisure-B:
"Even though I very much appreciate Autechre, the sound that they have and the thing that they do live on stage mainly as well, I felt that this video needed a little more than the sometimes overwhelmingly monotone style that they often bring. By taking a very "sound design" like approach to the composition, I hoped to take the feel animation one step higher. "

Detailed Making-Of-Video soon!

Connect with EQUILOUD. :: Official Site | Vimeo

Connect with Leisure-B :: Humanworkshop Artist Page | YouTube

Download MP3 :: fret_1

Download the Audio/Video Presets :: humanworkshop.com
There´s a bunch of Massive presets (and also a small *.c4d-file, covering the first 20sec. of the animation).

Autechre - Vose In (from LP5) :: YouTube | Amazon

Moth Conk Midi - Amazing Stories (2010) :: Review

Moth Conk Midi
Amazing Stories
[CAOUTCHOU Records :: 2010]
Free Download

7.5/10

A true example of "you can't judge an album by its cover", Moth Conk Midi's "Amazing Stories" debut is not an acid house party mix nor is it a stoney study of analog experiments as the artwork might suggest.  Moth Conk Midi is the new collaboration project between Oxynucid of London and Berlin's own Vertical67, and if you're familiar with each of these talented artists' respective work, you're sure to be surprised by this genre-melding collection of well-produced electronic tracks.  Ambient Soundscape, Electro, D'n'B, Psyachadelic, Breakbeat, Leftfield, Downtempo, Experimental, and a smidge of Acid are all encapsulated in this release, making it widely varied and a great listen time and time again.

When firing up the opening track "Cohort I", I was met with a pleasant and unexpected array of traditional eastern percussion and string sounds that instantly piqued my interest, and had me doing a double take to make sure I'd pressed "play" on the right album. Indeed I did and moments later a sweet, melodic synth washed its way over the beat in a perfect blend of acoustic and electronic.  Enter drum machine about halfway through and we've got some excellent mellow IDM.  "Overpowered (featuring iAM9)" is a chilled out piece with sexy vocals by iAM9 and for me peaks around the 4:38 mark when that warm buzzy synth comes in and plays over the main melody.  "Autumnbreaks" and "Summerbreaks" give us some classic braindance while maintaining the laid back vibe that resonates throughout the entire album.  "Audiofiletourism" is a twinkly, but borderline elevator music track, (and I could swear I hear "Somewhere Over The Rainbow" somewhere in there) but it doesn't stray too far from the rest of the pack.  Overall this album is something Moth Conk Midi should be proud of and I recommend it to anyone into early Future Sound of London, The Orb, Plaid, and Squarepusher.


Listen / Preview:


Tracklisting:
1. Cohort I
2. Inhale/Exhale
3. Autumnbreaks
4. Overpowered (featuring iAM9)
5. Falkenfelser
6. Welcome To Rapture
7. Summerbreaks
8. Audiofiletourism
9. Cohort II

Download Amazing Stories :: Direct Download (.ZIP) | Label Page | Archive.org Page

Connect w/ Moth Conk Midi :: Facebook | Soundcloud | MySpace | Last.fm

Vertical67 - Daydreamer (2010) :: Review

Vertical67
Daydreamer EP
[Schwa! Records :: 2010]
Free Download

8.5/10

If you're on the prowl for summery electronic music, here's a good one for you.  Vertical67's "Daydreamer" EP out recently via Schwa! Records is a breath of fresh air, and as the cover art suggests, could very well be the perfect audio companion to any activity on a warm summer afternoon, such as relaxing in the shade or cycling through the city.

Here Vertical67 blends dreamy IDM with upbeat acid house, achieving a nice balance of energy and feel-good melody.  Opener "Awaiting This Moment" gets things started with a laid-back bpm and a classic house dance feel that is sure to get your toe tapping.  Around the 2:06 mark is the moment I was waiting for with enthusiastic bursts of sprinting synth piano rolls backed by a solid 4-on-the-floor and a warm, underlying trance pad. Stand-out track "Sunday Afternoon Jam" is a creative melodic piece comprised of bubbly bass, syncopated rhythms, and a peculiarly cute synth lead that reminds me a bit of Global Goon's "Vatican Nitez".  The atmospheric reverb in this track is a lush wonderland where the haze of yellow incense and purple bumble bees swirl around your head as you sink deeper into a bed of fluffy green grass.

I enjoy the way Vertical67 applies his psychedelic influence without being too obvious about it.  "Cosmic Falafel" incorporates subtle tongue clicks and some textural microsounds you can almost feel in the back of your sinuses whilst headphone listening, and "Moondance" gives us an acid bassline that occasionally flutters up into 8-bit-ish bleeps.  The entire release is sprinkled with abstract samples and brainy changeups, but still maintains a steady dance floor feel, rounding out nicely with a solid remix from Volitune.

Information found on the Schwa! Records site says this EP "features mostly tracks comin out of jamsessions with hardwaresynths and TR-606 and some other bits created under the influence of chocolate cookies, sunshine and other nice things" which, I have to admit, makes me love it even more.



Download :: Vertical67 - Daydreamer (90 MB .ZIP, 320kbps .MP3)

Connect with Vertical67 :: MySpace | Facebook | SoundCloud