subsekt Strategies [The Oblique Strategies]

[Críoch]

So..

The Oblique Strategies were a set of cards that would be consulted whenever a musical part or entire project got stale or problematic. The suggestions, or strategies.. were designed to break down stalemate and inertia, allowing the musician to move forward creatively.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oblique_Strategies

https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.thegua ... strategies

Eno's Website Shop
https://www.enoshop.co.uk/product/obliq ... egies.html

A web based OS. Refresh for a new strategy:
https://www.joshharrison.net/oblique-strategies/

This stems from a suggestion that Between Stars made recently:

I had the idea of a subsekt version of Eno & Schmidt's Oblique Strategies. Everyone gets to submit a concept - a word, phrase, image, video, code snippet, whatever - and one gets randomly picked every month. Oblique Strategies is cool, but I think there would be something even more inspiring knowing that the seed of the idea came from someone you can interact with and will get to see their take on. Just an idea...

We're going to run our own here. I'll update the 2nd post in this thread with a list as we progress.. and we will possibly need to edit & possibly delete stuff if it gets silly

Would be nice if this became a useful exercise.

Please feel free to add some 'useful' advice that is either constructive or destructive, sensible or wild & forces the struggle to be resolved by suggesting a clear (or abstract) course of action.

Keep it short & simple please

brianenovisualmusic6.jpg (47 KiB) Viewed 5892 times

[Críoch]

The subsekt Strategies

1. Rip it up. Make a new groove using the sounds & parts that you already have.

2. Swap midi channels around on different bits of gear/VST's, so they play sequences that weren't originally intended for them.

3. Go down stairs and get another beer. (If that sounds bad i only really do this at weekends)

4. Do the car / lounge test to get some perspective.

5. Quit for the day.

6. Be ruthless and delete any sound(s) or channel/ effects etc you are not sure about.

7. Don't just use vocoders for voice. Try anything and everything on both carrier and modulator for happy accidents. Shit hihat? Throw in a vocoder with noise on it. Use the attack to make it sound like a shaker. Automate the release to make the hats swell into a burst of noise. Can sound good with a little bit of chorus.

8. Drum patterns with synth sounds or pads can be good for rhythmic synth patterns.

9. Make an entire track / part using only one (1) single-cycle waveform sample.

10.Can you hear what you're doing? If not, care about your room (even if it's rearranging existing furniture, what will cost nothing).

11. Kill your darlings. An awesome synth line that just doesn't fit isn't worth being tweaked endlessly.

12. Get your first elements in a track sound really good before you add new ones.

13. If you're stuck, turn on the radio and try to find inspiration in a random track from an entirely different genre.

14. Use note events to write words in the piano roll to generate random midi patterns

15. Put the drums in last. If you can get a track to work without them, it'll be killer with them.

16. Reese Mentality. Bounce to audio. Use a sampler to focus on movement & create a simple, interesting bassline (or whatever) with extra glide, filters & texture.

[Ben Kohonays]

Swap midi channels around on different bits of gear/VST's, so they play sequences that weren't originally intended for them.

[Mslwte]

Go down stairs and get another beer. (If that sounds bad i only really do this at weekends)

Do the car / lounge test to get some perspective.

Quit for the day.

Be ruthless and delete any sound(s) or channel/ effects etc you are not sure about.

[Críoch]

Cheers for those.

Midi channel one is good. Especially when you are looking hard for something. Starting the clip from a different point can be good for hats or to syncopate whatever..

Do that all the time.

[Críoch]

Be ruthless and delete any sound(s) or channel/ effects etc you are not sure about.

Be ruthless. Agree 100% man.

[Ben Kohonays]

Don't just use vocoders for voice. Try anything and everything on both carrier and modulator for happy accidents.

Drum patterns with synth sounds or pads can be good for rhythmic synth patterns.

[between stars]

Make an entire track / part using only one (1) single-cycle waveform sample.

[Root]

Can you hear what you're doing? If not, care about your room (even if it's rearranging existing furniture, what will cost nothing).

Kill your darlings. An awesome synth line that just doesn't fit isn't worth being tweaked endlessly.

Get your first elements in a track sound really good before you add new ones.

[terryfalafel]

If you're stuck, turn on the radio and try to find inspiration in a random track from an entirely different genre.

[terryfalafel]

Use note events to write words in the piano roll to generate random midi patterns

[Ben Kohonays]

Put the drums in last. If you can get a track to work without them, it'll be killer with them.

[between stars]

Put the drums in last. If you can get a track to work without them, it'll be killer with them.

This is a great one. It requires an iron will to resist the temptation to add drums, but it’s incredibly effective

[Críoch]

Don't just use vocoders for voice. Try anything and everything on both carrier and modulator for happy accidents.

Drum patterns with synth sounds or pads can be good for rhythmic synth patterns.

+ 1 for vocoders. Shit hihat? Throw a vocoder with noise on it. Use the attack to make it sound like a shaker. Automate the release to make the hats swell into a burst of noise. Can sound good with a little bit of chorus.

Actually used your idea / sentiment the other day. Make some wild modulating , pitching, random delays & ended up using the vocoder like a gate.. must do it more.

[Críoch]

Make an entire track / part using only one (1) single-cycle waveform sample.

Not a bad idea for learning about sound design. Can be pretty liberating bouncing a snippet from your project & drilling into the waveform to create that new sound that is missing. Be it some percussion, a bass rhythm or pad.

[Críoch]

Can you hear what you're doing? If not, care about your room (even if it's rearranging existing furniture, what will cost nothing).

Kill your darlings. An awesome synth line that just doesn't fit isn't worth being tweaked endlessly.

Get your first elements in a track sound really good before you add new ones.

Im lucky enough to have a few different bits to play with. I'll admit that I go through phases.. Right now I'm breaking my brain trying to remember how to program my MC202. Its nice to be able to do that. Focus on one thing (thats not a kick drum )

[Críoch]

If you're stuck, turn on the radio and try to find inspiration in a random track from an entirely different genre.

Totally agree with this. Sometimes weird studio techniques jump out of old tracks.. a strange delay on a snare or the gated drums of Phil Collins.

Going one step further.. Sometimes I'll grab a tune from YT, such as Ariana Grande or Taylor Swift.

Something the kids like.. and I'll chop up a bit of the vocal & make it sound fucking demented & get them to turn bits on & off with a midi controller. Noteable bangers have been a crazed version of Jedward's Lipstick.. and some Clean Bandit song.. Rather Be(?). Both became a distorted Dave The Drummer-esque track. The girl pop stuff seems to end up sounding like something from Rinse FM.

There have been one or two things that have sounded shit cool when messed-up & i've either kept them or taken a new direction afterwards.

Im guilty. Send me to jail.

[Críoch]

Use note events to write words in the piano roll to generate random midi patterns

Is that Logic?

[Críoch]

Reese Mentality. Bounce to audio. Use a sampler to focus on movement & create a simple, interesting bassline (or whatever) with extra glide, filters & texture.

Been working on something the last few days.. should have binned it as it sounds nothing like it did at the start. However, it was mainly because I couldnt get some kind of bass element that I was happy with.

In the end.. I bounced the bassline & put the loop into a sampler. The 2 note monosynth PWM style bass with glides sounded not too bad.. but in the sampler I was able to drill into some parts with movement & manipulate it further.

[speen]

Sounds very cool, do you ever share some of your music?