Starts pretty simply, but gains momentum.
I like how it turned out – much “housier” than anticipated. Sort of like slow Dutch house.
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Karl D – Reactor(Download – Right click and select “Save As”)
OK, trying to get back on track here…It’s been a while but I’ve got at least a couple things to share with you in the short term.
Today’s selection might be a bit unfriendly, depending on your perspective. life.remixed is taking a rather minimal turn overall.
The beat was constructed using only one instrument(the bass drum). Then, the sample was reversed, chopped, and repeated until it actually had a pretty diverse sound. That, mixed with some moody atmospherics makes a dissonant concoction with a very ominous presence.
This track reminds me of a similar “beautifully ugly” random beat(4_09).
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There’s been a few songs I’ve released lately without being part of an album. Since a few of them were piling up, I decided to compile them together as an EP.
This EP will be called “Mumble and Slouch”. Today, I present the title track to you.
Obviously, there’s not much going on here. The whole idea was for this track to be a little less “in your face”, but there was some room for some interesting elements.
This EP will collect “Dum Spiro Spero“, “Foresight“, “Aeon“, this track, and one yet to be produced. As soon as it is complete, it will find a home in the Free Downloads section, among the rest of the material available on this site.
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This track was stagnant for quite some time before I took some advice from a Doctor who told me that “Slow is Better”. (Sorry if this looks like a plug. I really do like that commercial! Step off! 
)
What started as a hardcore-sounding trance tune lost about 40 BPM to become a much more glitchy trip hop jam.
I’m feeling very comfortable with the 110-BPM tempo right now. Another favorite of mine is the remix of Evening, which has a similar tempo.
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What do you call it when low-bit and dubstep collide? Dub-bit? Bit-step?
This track will be part of an upcoming EP, entitled Artifice, that will also include “3rd Level Down“. Expect a few more tracks to be released before the full album will be included in the Free Downloads section.
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I’m proud and excited to present this just-finished production to you.
“3rd Level Down” is a dark, illbient-style trip-hop experience. Slow to build up, this track has a definite apex as all the elements come together to make this track very moody and dramatic.
Those who are clever and informed enough may infer that the title’s inspiration comes from Inception. I’d be lying if I said the movie wasn’t an influence; in fact, the basics of this track were put down only minutes after I saw the film.
Enjoy a free download of this song below the player!
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Lo-fi beats provide the backdrop for the electronic drama in this minimal track. Lots of vintage sounds at work here.
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The following is a repost of a comment from Myspace from me to my new friend Matt Terrell, aka Small Mammal. Matt is an independent electronic music producer based in Asheville, NC, and he and I recently conducted a CD exchange. I thouroughly liked his CD and wanted to pass on the good word about it.
Read on for my review of Small Mammal’s self titled CD, which is a great value at $5. Matt is distributing this title himself and can be reached via his myspace page. You can also download a promo 2-track pack from the CD here.
Matt,
Got your CD in the mail yesterday. I’ve had the chance to listen to it twice since then.
The CD is very intricate, from the moment you pick it up. I loved the cover – I’m very in to the idea of CDs as a “tactile” format. I like picking up a CD and looking at it, and the packaging certainly has an effect on me. Unfortunately this idea is lost on a lot of people, since the days of going to the record store for a few hours is gone, having been replaced by iTunes.
The intricacy continued once I got it in my CD player. I can tell that every sound on the disc is the result of a deliberate, programmed action. The live guitar and drums sound great especially after you get them into your sampler for modification. Nice glitchy chops and edits. The quality of the samples and instruments was very consistent and pleasing.
My favorites on the disc were tracks 1, 2,and 3. (10 is a close runner-up). I can’t say I’m familiar with all of your influences(like Boards of Canada), but my musical heritage does include some Aphex Twin, Autechre, and Dntel(as well as Postal Service). I can definitely appreciate the IDM(if that’s a word you’re comfortable with) influence in the first few tracks’ glitch-hop style. The rest of the disc is simply fascinating and I can definitely hear the echoes of Phillip Glass’ complex chord composition, Corea-esque electric piano, and the great use of space found in Dark Side-era Pink Floyd throughout.
The disc definitely has made it in to my “rainy day classics” file, along with Massive Attack’s “Mezzanine” and Aphex’ “Druqs”. Thanks Matt for conducting this experiment in the barter system with me. I hope you enjoy your new CD.
Good luck,
Karl
P.S. Matt contacted me directly on the “Contact” page here on randombeats.com, which began our exchange. If there are any other independent musicians out there that want to engage in a similar CD exchange, I’d be glad to hear from you. All it will cost you is postage.
