Ross From Friends’ (AKA Felix Clary Weatherall) Tread album is one of the most enjoyable electronic long-players of late 2021, and this is due in part, we suspect, to the way it was put together.
The basis of the record was Thresho, a Max For Live utility device that records up to four stereo audio inputs automatically based on a user-defined dB threshold. Once the audio reaches that threshold, Thresho begins recording; once the audio drops below the threshold, and the ‘decay’ period has been completed, it stops recording.
Weatherall used Thresho to put together a massive library of timestamped audio, which was then used to create the 12 tracks that make up Tread. However, it turns out that there was an awful lot of material left over - more than 2,000 recordings, weighing in at 50GB, to be precise - and now you’re being invited to download it and use it in your own music.
“Over the course of writing Tread, Thresho automatically created this audio diary of everything I did in the studio,” says Weatherall on Instagram. “The album is defined by this process, so I wanted people to be able to interact with it to get a closer understanding of the album as a whole.
“I’m keen for the recordings to take on a life of their own. I’d love for people to use them in their own stuff: music, video, performance, dance, whatever. On the site, there’s a place to upload links to share your interpretations of the recordings. You can also tag me in stories of you using the recordings on here. I’ll be sending gifts to all of those that get reposted.
“I’ve omitted the recordings that I used on the album, I feel like they already found their purpose in the songs I made from them. I want these recordings to stand alone as their own entity. I hope you enjoy them.”
So, basically, you’ve got access to a huge library of Ross From Friends samples that you can do what you like with, which sounds like a good deal to us. The Thresho Max For Live device is still available, too - also for free.
Dive in on the Ross From Friends website.
