Is there more to life than Four to the Floor? It's easy to forget when you immerse yourself in house music, but when you're not restricted by a dance floor there is such an eclectic, sublime, wonderful world of sound out there. In this edition of "Outside the House" Hannah Gibbs talks about the secrets behind ambient sound creation..
Tight production.. Crisp sounds.. Good harmonies, loops, chord progression.. these are all text-book concepts. But what about emotion? The feeling created as opposed to a sound. A singer for example engages an audience through the poetry of their words .. so what is the secret in creating ambience; shifting moods and the kind of emotion that isn't always evident in computer-based music.
Tight production.. Crisp sounds.. Good harmonies, loops, chord progression.. these are all text-book concepts. But what about emotion? The feeling created as opposed to a sound. A singer for example engages an audience through the poetry of their words .. so what is the secret in creating ambience; shifting moods and the kind of emotion that isn't always evident in computer-based music.
I recently had the pleasure of picking the brains of some U.K garage producers who were over here on tour and they got me thinking about this concept; the creation of sound. Through the use of our natural environment and manifestation of our own experiences it is possible to create a fresh palette of sounds that are uniquely individual. Sometimes the most simplistic approach can have the best effect. This got me thinking of Mount Kimbie, one of my favourite (and thoroughly experimental) electronic artists so I wanted to share a few words on this topic that tantalises my eardrums...
Mount Kimbie have crafted their own sound that sits somewhere on the peripheries of dubstep. With its electronic beats, ambient field recordings, mutilated vocals and looped guitars. They blend together the moody beats of Burial while incorporating live instruments and taking cues from the more left-field end of rock and the soulful moodiness of trip-hop.
Mount Kimbie - Tunnel Vision
But not only that, their ambient samples and 'field-work' (recordings) are what sets them further apart from their electronic contemporaries. The imagination is limitless; recording sounds from their skateboards and BMX, singing in tunnels, throwing stones at walls and recording their claps echoing through passageways and utilising the natural reverb in their environment. The track 'Tunnelvision' is made mostly of samples form this tunnel.
If you are interested in all things sound related you should check out their album 'Crooks & Lovers' (2010). It will drive your imagination into a frenzy.
Mount Kimbie - Adriatic
