The Analog Drone...
 

This review holds significant value as it delves into the profound essence of crafting Ambient music, or even exploring the realms of Noise and Sound itself. Hence, it is essential to grant the artist the opportunity to express their perspective first and foremost.

"Making music is about experimentation, for me. The field recordings are raw materials, but they also dictate the end result. I might start a song with the intention of making a lush, warm, soothing track and then find that the sample I've recorded lends itself more towards something gloomy and dark. I restrict myself to using only found sound and the free Audacity software because I don't have the financial means to buy synths, instruments or even fancy software.  

My primary passion is photography. My images are exclusively black and white, using shallow depth of field. The emphasis being on composition, texture, shapes and quality of light. I find those limitations spark more creativity and experimentation. The same goes for my sound work, which I only started doing in 2020. By using limited tools I've made entire tracks from a single recording of a garden sprinkler, an exhaust fan in a public restroom or the sound of a speeding subway train.

For the track I submitted, A New Low, I took a 9 second long field recording of a squeaky door at a local hardware store and began manipulating it. I stretched the sample out, making it longer and slower. Pitch adjustments were also made, as needed. All my field recordings are in mono, which means that any stereo effect I want has to be cobbled together by hand, usually by duplicating the sample and creating a left and a right channel.

A New Low consists of 7 layers. The base of the track is the original sample slowed and stretched. There are the "vocal" stems that sound to me like chanting or ghostly moans. Those are just door squeaks that have been further slowed, stretched and pitch shifted. There are also distorted, textured versions of those same "vocal" stems, the distortion growing in intensity as the song goes on. All of these layers are mixed and mastered in Audacity. I make multiple passes at every song, listening to them over a few weeks, tweaking the mix, the stereo effects and the length of the track itself.

A New Low began to take shape as soon as I slowed the field recording. I just let the track develop as I edited it. There was a haunted house/abandoned building feeling to the sound, which I then emphasised by creating the "vocal" tracks and giving the mix a wide, open feeling.

I design these tracks to be enjoyed with headphones on. I spent hours getting the stereo, panning and spatial mix just right. I love having a sense of motion in my songs, with sounds flowing from right to left, growing and fading in intensity and texture. My work tends towards sound design. I'm more interested in mood, atmosphere, texture and motion than melody and song structure."

Jeremy Breckman

That was an abundance of captivating insights, clearly demonstrating that one does not need an extensive collection of expensive analog synths at home to unleash their creativity.

I wholeheartedly concur with Jeremy's perspective. "A New Low" undeniably stands as a somber chapter in ambient music. The haunting drone serves as a compelling invitation into a haunted house, gradually intensifying the excitement without succumbing to monotony until the very end.

Occasionally, these captivating elements intertwine with subtle distortion tones, like tiny cleaner fish delicately clinging to the fins of a monstrous creature from the depths of the sea.

If you have yet to experience meditation, I highly recommend immersing yourself in this composition. Rest assured, it will transport you to otherworldly realms, although I must note that the destination is uncertain...

A New Low on Bandcamp