Making simple, minimal music is one of those things that looks like it would be really easy, but totally isn’t. Whether we’re talking bleepy minimal techno, droning ambient music, stripped-back post rock or the seemingly simplistic 20th century classical of Phillip Glass or Steve Reich, music that sounds simple is often anything but that.
Generally speaking, the fewer elements you have going on in your tracks, the fewer places you have to hide. It’s this side of music making we’re digging into in this issue’s cover feature – electronic composition at its most loopy, experimental and subtle. Join us on page 28 as we dive into the minutiae of minimal, and explore how some of the best producers in the game manage to make the most out of a few minimal elements.
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Interviews
Little Dragon – Gothenberg’s finest share the secret of their enduring harmonious teamwork – amid disputes over gear storage!
Third Son – The UK producer tells us how he wrote, recorded and released his debut album in just 20 days
Lurka – The Bristol-based ‘producer’s producer’ on how he creates hard-hitting underground mixdowns and the sounds behind his killer new EP for Timedance
The Track: Pablo Nouvelle – A look behind the scenes as the Swiss artist joins forces with a Beninese icon for this afro-beat-infused house track
Classic Album – Scuba on his post-dubstep landmark Triangulation
Technique
Keep It Minimal – Doing less with more… sometimes easier said than done! Follow our guide to creating a stripped-back, simplified sound
Producer’s Guide – Take a deep dive into Ableton’s secret weapon synth, Operator
Retrospective – Exploring the various strands of industrial
Sound Design – Learn how to recreate the D-50’s distinctive linear arithmetic style of synthesis
Reviews
Erica Synths Bassline DB-01
Arturia KeyStep Pro
Sontronics Podcast Pro
Moog Subharmonicon
CEntrance Mixerface R4B
Vochlea Dubler Studio
And more!
Samples
Rims n’ Things – Sticks, knocks, rimshots and more – we’ve got your percussion needs covered with this bundle of one-shot drum sounds.
Adventures in Pitch & Time – We get experimental with stretching and shifting for this bundle of inspiring sounds and mind-bending loops.
Access the FM sample archive: Download the ‘Archive’ packs, newly updated and expanded for 2020 with over 18GB of loops, hits and instruments from our back catalogue of high-quality and royalty-free samples. From vintage synths and drum machines to esoteric instruments and FX – think of it as our best of. All the samples you need to create great music!
