Monotude

Monotude is the first track from a new album of electronic music I will release summer of 2011. It draws inspiration from the space in between public and private, between the ears and the headphones, and from both digital and analog synthesis techniques. You can find it on my SoundCloud channel here: colemanjolley/monotude

The recording process has been interesting, this time around. Over the past 15 years, since my last studio recordings to 24 track tape, I have experimented with all the popular digital audio workstations (DAWs), including Pro Tools, MOTU Digital Performer, Sonar Cakewalk, Emagic/Apple’s Logic and Cubase, eventually settling on Logic Pro as my preferred tool. I’ve traveled back and forth between PC and Mac, eventually selecting the Mac as my preferred platform. Thanks ASIO driver mediocrity!

What I struggled with wasn’t the plethora of choices, though it sure is nice to have a gluttonous amount of available tracks if you want them. Instead, I found myself missing the approach of recording to tape, treating it as an instrument adjunct to the music. Yes, performance is required and one can’t *as easily* go back and fix a bum note on tape (does anybody remember punch-ins?), but more importantly, the feeling of a tape reel running along with you, pacing and contributing as an unseen member. I miss the layering.

After looking into acquiring a 16 track machine to record this new album, the daunting cost of signal processing gear and spending more time with Logic, I decided that what was missing was the approach or attitude of tape. A Monotude, so to speak. So I applied that here, and to all the recordings that will comprise the album.

There will be more to come for this album of music, much of it experimental in nature and not particularly melodic. But I did feel this first track set the tone and explained a lot of what I was inspired by, to the point and without unnecessary embelishment.