Author: Barry van Oudtshoorn

How many do you see?

My style combines lo-fi video game sounds with dance, big sweeping orchestral lines, and piano performances.

I first started writing music electronically using a tracker — originally ModEdit, but I found my way to ModPlug Tracker (now OpenMPT). I’ve since moved onto Reaper, but many of my pieces retain elements of the demoscene and video game music sound. Combined with my classical music and jazz piano background, many of my tracks don’t fit neatly into any one genre.

I entered this track in a Native Instruments competition.

Technical notes on this track:

  • Produced using Reaper DAW
  • Two instances of “The Maverick” NI piano
  • Session Strings Pro for basses, celli, violas, violins + stock Kontakt ‘bones and vowel-morphed choir
  • Bass is a custom Massive patch
  • Drums by Drum Lab
  • Arp courtesy of Oki Computer 2 in Reaktor
  • Bell lead via Rounds
  • Also includes sampled monkey balls and bowed saw, as well as Droopy the Dragon (from Kontakt 3)
  • Lots of Guitar Rig ensembles for Fx, as well as Replika and stock Reaper compressor
  • Performed on a first-generation S61
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[Music] Malcontent

This track really hearkens back to music I was writing a decade or so ago. In fact, some of the sounds are from that era, including the “boomwhackers” (which give the “tag” at the end). I’m really glad to have rediscovered these. They’re essentially lengths of PVC pipe which the sampler whacked against her/his head and recorded. I love how they can cut through the mix without being overbearing.

It’s been a while since I managed to write some music, what with moving house and two small children and the allure of games, but hopefully this track is just the first of many this year. 😉

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[Music] Sky on fire

Once again, it’s been a long interval between tracks. But here’s one at last! It’s quite fun to write in this style, with a half-time feel — the feel popularised by dubstep. I’m a particular fan when used in conjunction with rapid arps, as it bumps up the contrast. 🙂

Production: It’s about 90% NI Massive, with a little bit of Polyplex, Battery, and Kontakt thrown in.

Creative Commons License