Rolando Simmons - World Building

[psn]

My studio isn't set up like a studio anymore, it's more of a workshop environment where I bring out different bits of gear and work with them separately for a couple of weeks at a time, switching up sequencers and working on patches. Final product is always insane patchwork and pretty counter-intuitive, but i like the sort-of-rough edges around a track built up like that.

Yeah, I think I get the best results from working with just a sequencer and a synth. But actually finishing stuff seems easier with the all-in-synch-all-instruments-into-a-mixer studio setup.

[Ifeelspace]

Decay is verrrry nice about now.  It's some mighty fine world-building.  Congrats!

Edited October 16, 2017 by Ifeelspace

[ARPA]

You've done it! This world you've build is just lovely and I'm so happy to be able to visit ...

[theburglar]

Everything I'm hearing so far is good, Loom is particularly nice.

 

Was the art something you planned or had a hand in? It's simple but strange and somehow pretty fitting with the general tone.

 

Also that flutey sound that's prominent for the first minute or two of Girl of Uchter Moor is so nice, I've heard it elsewhere, on Planar Mists I think. It's a lovely tone, sounds the same at first glance at least. Can I ask what synth/whatever that's coming from?

 

Oh and Spirala is quite lovely as well :)

The artwork is an approximation of what I had in mind as I continually listened back. The idea was that the artwork and the title would emulate the feeling of finding a new unheard record in a dream. So simple and strange is pretty much what I had in mind.

 

I don't think I've used that flutey sound before (might be completely wrong there), don't remember what I used but like many of the sounds on this it's probably a hardware synth (guessing blofeld) combined with a vst synth.

[Hail Sagan]

this is exceptional

[Silent Member]

Yes!

[theburglar]

You've done it! This world you've build is just lovely and I'm so happy to be able to visit ...

Thanks! :) very happy to have you

[Amen Warrior]

Really great album. Would be amazing to get this on wax, fingers crossed that can happen at some point down the line?

Trying to pick my fave track off this is impossible...Empowered is really special, I kind of want to listen to it while floating in one of those sensory deprivation tanks. I feel like it would blast my mind into space :D

[BCM]

amazing stuff

[Richie Sombrero]

Bought the CD, this is one I’ll want to keep. Thank you.

[Hail Sagan]

I need a few more listens to wrap my head around the album but I can safely say that I love it. Right now my two standouts are Uncertainty Pond and Strange Poet. Uncertainty Pond feels so good to listen to, the way it builds and finally incorporates those vocal elements near its end. Then there's Strange Poet, which is indeed very strange. Such a bizarre yet intriguing way to close the album, with its seething hum and traveling sounds. That one is pure wizardry. 

 

My initial impressions are that this is the best thing Rolando has ever done, and I can see why he decided to release this as a LP. The fact that Free Analogue is one of my all time favorite tracks of his from Volumes and that it isn't the clear standout here as the other songs are just as strong if not stronger offerings shows his development as a musician and mastery of his craft. I'm sure the fact that it just sounds great and was obviously mastered with great care enriched its overall sound. 

Edited October 17, 2017 by Hail Sagan

[calx]

Bought the CD, this is one I’ll want to keep. Thank you.

Same here, and I don’t buy many.

[Hail Sagan]

Should've bought the CD but the shipping fee to the US for that was satanically high. Bought digital and threw some extra $$$ their way. If it ever gets vinyl treatment I'll re-buy.

[Extralife]

I need a few more listens to wrap my head around the album but I can safely say that I love it. Right now my two standouts are Uncertainty Pond and Strange Poet. Uncertainty Pond feels so good to listen to, the way it builds and finally incorporates those vocal elements near its end. Then there's Strange Poet, which is indeed very strange. Such a bizarre yet intriguing way to close the album, with its seething hum and traveling sounds. That one is pure wizardry. 

 

My initial impressions are that this is the best thing Rolando has ever done, and I can see why he decided to release this as a LP. The fact that Free Analogue is one of my all time favorite tracks of his from Volumes and that it isn't the clear standout here as the other songs are just as strong if not stronger offerings shows his development as a musician and mastery of his craft. I'm sure the fact that it just sounds great and was obviously mastered with great care enriched its overall sound. 

So well said.  I feel like my favorite tracks change each time I listen, but Uncertainty Pond is an early standout.  Those of you holding out on checking out Rolando/Trackermatte -- here is your gateway drug.  

[Braintree]

Big thanks to anyone who's bought/listened! If you like it - spread the word. If there's any questions or comments I'll be online here all day.

 

 

Do you think you'll approach your next album/release with the same process? I find it kind of awkward to include 2 year old tracks on my releases, and generally my approach to composing changes somewhat quickly. Just wondering if you're already off on another idea, or trying to remain with a bit of continuity for the future.

[theburglar]

 

Big thanks to anyone who's bought/listened! If you like it - spread the word. If there's any questions or comments I'll be online here all day.

 

Do you think you'll approach your next album/release with the same process? I find it kind of awkward to include 2 year old tracks on my releases, and generally my approach to composing changes somewhat quickly. Just wondering if you're already off on another idea, or trying to remain with a bit of continuity for the future.

Good question! I also have a big problem with including older tracks on new releases unless it's a good fit. At the time of release even newer tracks are pretty old to me so I've moved on since, at my own pace. Finishing tracks takes a long time nowadays as methods change and develop. I'm getting more picky and patient with stuff. I'm probably going to continue on the same path for a while if it yields interesting results. I'm interested in stripping away as much of the conventions and habits as possible and see what I can replace them with. Hopefully it'll take me someplace weird and interesting.

[Leon Sumbitches]

Listened to this this afternoon and bought the CD, gorgeous stuff. A world one can get comfortably and happily lost in

[theburglar]

Listened to this this afternoon and bought the CD, gorgeous stuff. A world one can get comfortably and happily lost in

Cheers :) Many bottles of Omnipollo Fatamorgana were emptied in the making of this record. Highly recommended!

[Hail Sagan]

 

Question about Strange Poet from someone with no recording/mastering experience. What did you do to generate those early sounds (it almost sounds like pots of water being struck and gliding by a mic from different directions or something)? The whole song seems to have a lot of depth and does a great job of crossing channels in my headphones, as do other songs, but this one more so for some reason. Also, that humming at the end, did you use a vocal sample on that? it sounds much more organic near the conclusion of the track before everything dissipates. Basically, was it your, or maybe Hardwood's intention to give that song that much depth, or am I just imagining this shit?

[RickDastardly]

Just received my CD. Just in time for my road trip this weekend! Yasss!

[perunamuusi]

May i ask how old free analogue is? I stuck it on youtube about 5 years ago and it had already been about for a bit before that i think....

[psn]

Vol. 1-3 were released in 2012 anyway.

[theburglar]

 

Question about Strange Poet from someone with no recording/mastering experience. What did you do to generate those early sounds (it almost sounds like pots of water being struck and gliding by a mic from different directions or something)? The whole song seems to have a lot of depth and does a great job of crossing channels in my headphones, as do other songs, but this one more so for some reason. Also, that humming at the end, did you use a vocal sample on that? it sounds much more organic near the conclusion of the track before everything dissipates. Basically, was it your, or maybe Hardwood's intention to give that song that much depth, or am I just imagining this shit?

Strange poet was one if the last tracks I did for the album and I had gotten pretty deep into reworking, analyzing and detailing by then. The intro is me striking a cast iron pan. I was going to use the individual sounds to complement some other percussive noises but ended up trying out different doppler effect treatments on the whole thing in Adobe Audition and Cecilia5.

 

There's more room/time for playing with space, depth and texture in tracks with little to no percussion and that one is a good example. Many layers of voices, field recordings and digital and analogue synths basically. That is my voice in the track and I just mixed out much of the processing near the end to bring it to the front.

 

Robin Harwood is amazing at identifying and isolation the different ranges of sounds to make everything crystal clear. We also had the same idea as to what the overall texture of the album would be, as I had in mind something that would sound vaguely like Isao Tomita.

May i ask how old free analogue is? I stuck it on youtube about 5 years ago and it had already been about for a bit before that i think....

Yes I must have made that in 2012. It was the first Rolando track.

[BCM]

got my cd today w00t!

[theburglar]

got my cd today w00t!

Nice! Hope it looks really good. Haven't got my copies yet! :))