Oscillendulum 4

Here's another Oscillendulum, once again performed only on my beloved old Roland JUNO 60. About an hour ago I also posted this to YouTube, as a soundtrack for a raft of ducks swimming around in Ueno pond. Yet another Oscillendulum went up on YT a few hours before that, as a soundtrack for a revolving restaurant display. Be the first on your block to see 'em!

(Get Flash to see the track player.)
posted by flapjax at midnite (12 comments total)

Just discovered something kinda cool. Click on the raft of ducks YT link and play it simultaneously with this track. Gets thick. Works.

Then I tried playing this along with the revolving restaurant display YT link. That works, too. You might get a little seasick, though.
posted by flapjax at midnite at 2:14 AM on April 24

As a synth enthusiast this was very satisfying. The sound is brilliantly good off of these Junos; you captured the pure sound quite well. Do you mind if I sample this?

I listened to the mashup with the raft YT link and it was alright. Or maybe it was just all-reich.

Awful terrible jokes aside, I think that tab-mashups are an untapped market that just might explode soon.
posted by dagosto at 2:51 AM on April 24

Sample away, dagosto. But if your tune with my sample is a runaway hit, I want 4 weeks a year at your timeshare in Tahiti.

And a car.
posted by flapjax at midnite at 3:09 AM on April 24 [1 favorite has favorites]

done
posted by dagosto at 8:37 AM on April 24

Oh wow. This is brilliant. And it does work great with those videos. I'm sure it would work great with the inflatable guy as well.

I really like this stuff, although it reminded me of your Japonisme and I have to ask, did you ever get around to doing more of those?
posted by micayetoca at 8:56 AM on April 24

So nicely squishy. It makes me want a Juno 60. Is there a software version available?

Also, could you tell us a little more about what you did? Were you riding the pitch wheel, or twiddle knobs somehow while you were playing?
posted by umbú at 12:17 PM on April 24

twiddling--man, I need to proofread better.
posted by umbú at 12:17 PM on April 24

Is there a software version available?

Yes. It doesn't really have the same depth of sound though.
posted by dagosto at 12:25 PM on April 24

umbú, my method for these is something like this:

1) set up an oscillating rhythmic pattern on the JUNO, sometimes with one note, sometimes 2 or 3.
2) record that to a track in Logic.
3) do another one or two like that, whatever seems to fit somehow with the prior track(s). Mix and match.
4) record yet more of these, but as the oscillation loops, slide the VCO or VCA or some other faders (lotsa fader interface on the JUNO, not so many knobs) so that the speed of the oscillation changes. This kind of track often acts as the kind of "solo" voice, with a little more variety in terms of phrasing.

The Oscillendulums are usually comprised about 3 or 4 tracks. Simple as that!
posted by flapjax at midnite at 5:15 PM on April 24

Oh and mica, yeah, I've just got one other of the Japonisme pieces, and I'm not sure if it's finished... Maybe I'll just post it as is, though, sometime soon. It's not as involved as the other one, that is to say, not as snaky, rhythmically. It has more of a techno vibe, with a kick sample just rolling through the whole thing, and some trad Japanese voice (again, from an old 45rpm record) on top. My own bamboo jaw harp sorta sits there in between. I'll give it a listen again soon, and, like I say, probably post it here.

Also, umbú, I meant to say, you mentioned the pitch wheel: I'm not really using that. The oscillating patterns I'm programming create certain pitchy/squeezy effects by nature of their sonic architecture. I don't know how to describe it better than that... But I usually go for a kind of 'warped' effect with these: very liquid and not-equal-tempered.
posted by flapjax at midnite at 5:23 PM on April 24

This is somehow really complimenting the brandy which I got for my birthday in the summer and rarely drink. Lovely synthy warmth.
posted by chococat at 8:00 PM on April 24

This is pretty profound and beautiful. When I was around 7 or 8 my folks sent me to a summer school to do "art". I'm pretty sure that they thought I was going to be finger painting and stuff. Nope. They started right off with showing art films.

So watching your ducks and hearing your synth brings back the joy of witnessing and having my first real art experience. It was pretty profound alright!

As long as micayetoca brings it up, I think I mis-commented about Japonisme. That song would be a great focal point or theme for a dinner party and a great seed for conversations about music. Not "dinner" music playing in the background.

Thanks for posting this!
posted by snsranch at 6:56 PM on April 25