R 4 N S 0 M

Sometimes I post on the internet!

[r4ns0m]

Mod ANYTHING With Serum's LFOs

School of Bass:https://www.bass.dawnation.net/schoolofbassinfopage?WickedID=au5serummodanythingsob&WickedSource=youtubeSerum Masterclass:https://www.serum.da...

I mainly use Bitwig, and I can mod anything with modulators. But sometimes I try out other stuff, and this Serum + Ableton MAX4LIVE trick has been pretty fun. I followed along, I set up the container/group, and then I have Serum LFO’s modulating Hive2. I just have to remember, to map the CV tool to Hive, I have to hit the Configure button that shows up for Hive.

[r4ns0m]

I bought XLN XO this past week, while it was on sale. It was kind of a blind purchase, but I had read a lot about it, and heard a few producers I like talk about it. I now think it will be a big part of my work in the future, I’m having fun with it just going through presets and changing tempos, swapping drums, and figuring out what different functions do what.

One thing I have been doing is opening presets that are not my usual tempo, and then changing the BPM to something I work with. This screen shot is from a slower tempo, I switched it to 87 BPM, and now it’s churning out tom drum patterns that remind me of Autonomic era tunes. Another thing I need to get to grips with is the Groove function. Now understand there is global, versus individual drum track, and the individual track ones can be various settings, they don’t all have to follow the same swing algorithm.

[r4ns0m]

Bass and Bass Lines

Bass has been on my mind lately, mainly what do I find interesting, is it actually bass or mid-range movement, and how I use bass samples and patches from synths.

Very recently realized when flicking through patches/presets for basses, some bass sounds are cool to me as quick hits/stabs, some are great as sequenced, and others are just a held note with some interesting modulation. Trying to keep a catalog for myself of what is sounding good under what use. I think I tended to think everything had to be played or sequenced in some way.

Currently restructuring my Serum preset library, will do the same with Massive, Hive2, and a few others. What I want to be able to do is just jump in to a sketch, quick work, make lots of ideas.

[r4ns0m]

Been a while. Working on a lot of music stuff, having a lot of fun. Lately I have been bringing in some stuff to work, and tinker for my lunch hour. Today decided to start going through Serum patches, make note of what sounds good, and in what circumstances. Using the Category field to note in the synth what is cool.

Basically, got 4-bars of a held note, F0 F1 and F2, and if it sounds good on a particular range, then I’ll say something like “0 hold”. I also have my Circuit Tracks with a sequence, so I can play that and see if a patch sounds better played.

[r4ns0m]

Mentioned in my stories about a month or so ago, I have been writing personal stories about records in my collection, mainly about memories I have tied to them, people I associate with certain tracks, and giving a little bit of perspective on what it was like being a fan well outside the region where particular music was from. . Currently posting 2-3 new stories a week, got one guest story, and plans to do more guest stories in 2022. It’s been a lot of fun remembering and writing, and there has been a lot of reconnecting with old friends. I am even thinking of doing a zine with these collected together. . Thanks for the support, and if you haven’t checked it yet, go to @memories.of.music and take a look at what’s there so far. (at Roslindale) https://www.instagram.com/p/CXZwzk3u4SQ/?utm_medium=tumblr

[r4ns0m]

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Premiere of Ben Rolo & R4NS0M “Long Game” uploaded today to the PURE : LIQUID YouTube channel. Part of @benrolodnb’s ‘Fall Into Place’ EP, out Monday July 12th on @souldeeprecordings. . Look for a little breakdown next week, of how we collabed on this! . #pureliquiddnb #dnb #dnbmusic #drumnbass #drumnbassmusic #drumandbass #drumandbassmusic #liquiddnb #liquiddnbmusic #liquiddrumandbass #liquiddrumnbass https://www.instagram.com/p/CRBfN9AFMxi/?utm_medium=tumblr

[r4ns0m]

New release out in one week, July 12th, a collab with growing talent @benrolodnb — “Long Game” on Soul Deep Recordings. . Ben has a 6-track EP, which includes our track, collabs with @echomotiondnb and @joe_fullalove, and three originals by Ben. . #dnb #drumnbass #drumandbass #drumnbassmusic #drumandbassmusic #souldeeprecordings #liquiddnb #liquiddrumandbass #liquiddrumnbass https://www.instagram.com/p/CQ8V3mNLxzf/?utm_medium=tumblr

[r4ns0m]

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Me & Winslow talking about dnb things, plus my current approach to learning & creativity, and of course stories about ‘90s dnb adventures, and my daughter yelling “no dad music!” Until that time she came up to me and said “dad music?” https://www.instagram.com/p/CPahOr5lTGT/?utm_medium=tumblr

[r4ns0m]

Finally got this framed and on the wall, a @gregbfb / Greg Lamarche print (2/25), released by @houseofroulx in September 2019. I got it at his solo show All Good Things, at the Trustman Art Gallery, Simmons University, in Boston. . A few things about this. It’s the first piece of art I bought since moving to Boston in 2019. Leo had just been born three weeks earlier. I got to go to Greg’s artist talk, he was super nice, signed a catalog and some show cards for me. We got to chat for a few minutes. I’m in to collage art, and find it has a connection to music production, sampling, and beat making, so it was cool to talk to a visual artist about that. This particular print is interesting as it’s more illustration rather than collage, but that just means some day I’ll have to get a collage piece by him. Got one from several years ago, but still need to frame. . Very happy to have this hanging in our new home, and @stephgirleota bought the frame for me for my birthday last month! . #tbg #greglamarche #spone #houseofroulx #houseofroulxprint #art #artwork #artprint #print #pictureonmywall #toomuchartnotenoughframes https://www.instagram.com/p/CLuKXi1FkaK/?igshid=1040xc15eayzv

[r4ns0m]

Bought a techno record off of Discogs: Midland & Pariah - Works The Long Nights [SHEWORKS003] Two untitled tracks, the B side is my favorite. Just chugs along, dig the stabs on it. #vinyl #vinylcollection #vinylcollector #record #recordcollection #recordcollector #techno #midland #pariah #worksthelongnights https://www.instagram.com/p/CLsobxHl2Gj/?igshid=1l0vlh87c3869

[r4ns0m]

@stephgirleota made me an Italian cream cake for my birthday today, we got to have Frank Pepe’s pizza, and I have been having an amazing day. Thanks 🙏 (at Roslindale) https://www.instagram.com/p/CKSOLlolWnN/?igshid=5w1ypvznm4k8

[r4ns0m]

Schoolyard aesthetics 809 (at Roslindale) https://www.instagram.com/p/CKMqF43ln67/?igshid=yotcv3c144qh

[r4ns0m]

2021 has begun. I have been fortunate to have a couple weeks off from work, and spend a lot of time with my family. . One thing I have done, when I have time, is to go through new & old cookbooks and make note of recipes I want to try, note ones that I have done, which are favorites, and which have potential to be applied to other food. I like to eat food that is interesting to me, and I figure I should attempt to make what I can. . The time in the kitchen actually helps me with music production too. There’s this transposition of ideas. And sometimes I’ll read a quote from a chef (or non-music artists too), and it clicks with production time. . January 20th marks my 44th birthday (and 8th new US presidential inauguration), and I aim to always learn & evolve, as well as share what I can in hopes that my friends & peers can continue their own journeys. https://www.instagram.com/p/CJjOblHleoL/?igshid=1vqofmp3wyj8g

[r4ns0m]

My contribution to the 5 Years of Detached Audio - Part III EP, “Scene: Ansmnesis” released today on multiple platforms. . Label: @detachedaudio Catalog #: DA040 V/A: @echomotiondnb @jakemetcalfbrown / Flicka @rozfreshdnb @karma_kingdom @jeboytoss_t / Toss-T (at Boston, Massachusetts) https://www.instagram.com/p/CIqfQn_lLqm/?igshid=1dxjf9eeypcvc

[r4ns0m]

Issue 001 of @officialcatsonacid is now out, includes a sample & Serum preset pack I created for them. Lots of great content as well, a mix from @missledz, and interview with @thatdjcoda, studio tips, interviews, even saw @mayhemslr in there. . Honestly, really excited the COA staff contacted me about making a pack after I had just wrapped up my quarterly series for 2020. Even though I’ve been part of the global dnb scene for a long time, I’m in awe to be included in something like this. Still a lot of work ahead of me to get to where I want to be, but this is really a push to keep at it. . Also, COA asked for a bio, but I opted to write an artist’s statement: R4NS0M is the sonic embodiment of my nostalgia for discovering new music and sounds, from watching too much MTV as a kid (YO! MTV Raps and 120 Minutes being my favorite shows on there), flipping through music magazines and reading about artists & scenes outside of the DC/Baltimore suburb I grew up in, and falling in to the local rave scene in the mid-90s. My work is based on sampling, sample manipulation, sound design, and basic synthesis, and challenging myself as I explore and develop those techniques. I view my production as participating in both a cultural and energy exchange, building relationships with others whose music and art I am moved by. https://www.instagram.com/p/CHAumRqFvOB/?igshid=kwoaf7ndxmuq

[r4ns0m]

R4NS0M meets COA : A Sample & Serum Preset Pack . Releases tomorrow, October 31, 2020 in the debut issue of the @officialcatsonacid digital magazine. Get creative, send me some music you use these sounds in! https://www.instagram.com/p/CG-MtGblMqM/?igshid=17vnn9w1ravs7

[r4ns0m]

Recent art acquisitions & a few old favorites. . I’ll start with stating I love art, and while I often can’t afford original pieces or prints, when I see something I like, be it a show card or a sticker, I try to preserve it. Right now none of these are hanging, but my studio could do with some art on the wall, or I could put some of these up around the house. . Slide 1: a booklet of art by @jeroen_erosie for @martyn3024’s ‘Voids’ album on Ostgut Ton. I recently bought an album from Martyn and asked if he had any extras of the download cards for the Voids LP, as one side was a cool little print by Erosie. He didn’t, but he threw in the booklet that came with the limited edition version of the album, and the cover is the main artwork from the album sans the print copy. Just got a square frame today, excited to have this, it’s around 8” x 8”. . Slide 2: Kobe Bryant post-humously released a YA novel, which had a page of art by @keepdrafting / Augustine Kofie in it. I just got a copy of the book for cheap this week, worked out how to break it apart, turns out the art is on a transparency sheet. I thought the extra detail of print under the art looked interesting, so I framed it like that. Might get a few more copies of the book to experiment with, maybe different frames, try without a printed page, see what looks cool to me. . Slide 3: a postcard of art by @mad_c1 that came with some masks I recently bought from @pjoys. I was loosely familiar with Mad C’s work, loved the colors on this and the strokes. . Slide 4: a show card I’ve had for maybe 15 years, by @gregbfb maybe for a show at Levine Gallery? Not sure, but I got to hear Greg speak at a solo show in Boston last year (weeks after Leo was born), and I have two prints of his that I need to frame. This show card was my introduction to his work, and I immediately saw something in it that clicked. . Slide 5: a sticker from @ogmikegiant that he gave me at a group show in DC, probably in ‘00 or ‘01? Was a fan of his art since the mid-90s, discovering artcrimes.org, and I had no idea he was in to dnb & jungle until years later. . #art #artshowcards #littleart #graffitifuturism #artcollector #artcollection (at Roslindale) https://www.instagram.com/p/CGYyVHLlnUN/?igshid=c4m3i5kl4jyv