Really cool track. as always, lovely lush sounds and great melodies. Especially like the transition from the middle to the ending around 3:00 - the subtle vocoder-ish sounds are really cool. It's also weirdly unsettling to not have the kick! I can almost hear it even if it's not there.

Really cool track. as always, lovely lush sounds and great melodies. Especially like the transition from the middle to the ending around 3:00 - the subtle vocoder-ish sounds are really cool. It's also weirdly unsettling to not have the kick! I can almost hear it even if it's not there.

I love the idea of kickless techno and its execution here. It kind of brings it closer to an ambient vibe but you can still bop to it on account of the other percussive elements. Ochre did something similar with Project Caelus, but he excluded all percussion from the album when he's typically known for his IDM style. I like this concept more though, it's an interesting limitation.

I love the idea of kickless techno and its execution here. It kind of brings it closer to an ambient vibe but you can still bop to it on account of the other percussive elements. Ochre did something similar with Project Caelus, but he excluded all percussion from the album when he's typically known for his IDM style. I like this concept more though, it's an interesting limitation.

Lots of cool elements here. From the jump, that's a super foreboding chord progression. I'm enjoying how it builds. Really like how the piano comes back in and arpeggiates to lead us into the last third of the song, which I think is strongest. Nice work!

Lots of cool elements here. From the jump, that's a super foreboding chord progression. I'm enjoying how it builds. Really like how the piano comes back in and arpeggiates to lead us into the last third of the song, which I think is strongest. Nice work!

This feels really full and present in the mix and there is plenty of bass. really cool experiment and a very nice result!

This feels really full and present in the mix and there is plenty of bass. really cool experiment and a very nice result!

Sometimes I read your pretext before listening and my first thought is "ohhhhhhh shit this will be fun". And it's super fun.

I'm gonna argue in this case that kickless techno + Linndrum has landed you firmly in the land of synthwave. There's some definite Thomas Barrandon moments at the end with that piano, sounds amazing.

But can you dance to it? Not without full wrap-around neon sunglasses and some very angular looking clothing ill-adapted to that task. '80s! Go!

Sometimes I read your pretext before listening and my first thought is "ohhhhhhh shit this will be fun". And it's super fun. I'm gonna argue in this case that kickless techno + Linndrum has landed you firmly in the land of synthwave. There's some definite Thomas Barrandon moments at the end with that piano, sounds amazing. But can you dance to it? Not without full wrap-around neon sunglasses and some very angular looking clothing ill-adapted to that task. '80s! Go!

now i want to see an 80's movie about a neglected kick drum who gets stood up for the prom but ends up starting a band with it's rebel friends. they crash prom and perform an emotional set & then kick drum & synth drive off together into the sunset
*all that to say, this track rules! your mixing skills are always so locked in

now i want to see an 80's movie about a neglected kick drum who gets stood up for the prom but ends up starting a band with it's rebel friends. they crash prom and perform an emotional set & then kick drum & synth drive off together into the sunset *all that to say, this track rules! your mixing skills are always so locked in

Very cool!! Everything flows super well together.

Very cool!! Everything flows super well together.

We've always wondered what techno without the little too present bass would be like and I can honestly say, it doesn't disappoint. I think I'll agree with my fellow furry friend and propose this is synthwave, 2:30 really seals it and I am in desperate need of full wrap-around neon sunglasses.
- Raioh

We've always wondered what techno without the little too present bass would be like and I can honestly say, it doesn't disappoint. I think I'll agree with my fellow furry friend and propose this is synthwave, 2:30 really seals it and I am in desperate need of full wrap-around neon sunglasses. - Raioh

Its interesting that even though the track is kick-less, the kick is still implied. It lets the listener create their own BD pattern in the garden of their mind.

Its interesting that even though the track is kick-less, the kick is still implied. It lets the listener create their own BD pattern in the garden of their mind.

This feels SUPER epic. I really like how the toms/cowbell fill the space here. The quiet piano pieces are a delight, too. Super nicely done here! The melodic line when things get wild is also super satisfying. Really nice job!

This feels SUPER epic. I really like how the toms/cowbell fill the space here. The quiet piano pieces are a delight, too. Super nicely done here! The melodic line when things get wild is also super satisfying. Really nice job!

Oohh such nice sounds here and lots of variety. Love it!

Oohh such nice sounds here and lots of variety. Love it!

lush.

lush.

Sort of like a dancy Boards of Canada. I dig it! The punch in the bass does a nice job of substituting for the kick, but not too heavy handed. Well done! Love how much this tracks moves.

Sort of like a dancy Boards of Canada. I dig it! The punch in the bass does a nice job of substituting for the kick, but not too heavy handed. Well done! Love how much this tracks moves.

Interesting exercise to go kickless, I would say it is a great success, really like the sound pallet you created on this and the 80's interlude in the middle is one of the best parts, so glad you added it.

Interesting exercise to go kickless, I would say it is a great success, really like the sound pallet you created on this and the 80's interlude in the middle is one of the best parts, so glad you added it.

this is such a good track. fantastic work!

this is such a good track. fantastic work!

Reminds me of another artist I listen to called Bluetech.

Reminds me of another artist I listen to called Bluetech.

Cool idea for a track! Even without the kick, you can feel the beat and the potential for it. I think dropping it from the track helps to keep it a bit more airy and light. The track flows really nicely, and I think it turned out really well!

Cool idea for a track! Even without the kick, you can feel the beat and the potential for it. I think dropping it from the track helps to keep it a bit more airy and light. The track flows really nicely, and I think it turned out really well!

Oooh the cr drums sound awesome!  Nicely panned with those lil percussive bits.  The chord progression has a sinister feel to it.  But those drums balance it out especially when the lead synths come in.  Oooh the piano roll flowing into 303 is such a nice touch.  Nice piano outro too! Great mix and moving track. 

Oooh the cr drums sound awesome! Nicely panned with those lil percussive bits. The chord progression has a sinister feel to it. But those drums balance it out especially when the lead synths come in. Oooh the piano roll flowing into 303 is such a nice touch. Nice piano outro too! Great mix and moving track.

Thanks! That was the goal, so I'm happy it seems it worked out.

I learned of Barker's "Utility" album through this exercise, which also pretty much sheds all drums and percussion save for some white noise. So it was worth it just for the recommendations!

I appreciate the time you took to listen and comment!

Yeah, I had to compensate for the kick drum with some extra bass, and you noticed!

Hahaha, we're back at dissecting genres Love it! It's funny when I get more synthwave results when I'm not trying to actually make it

All I know is that you should listen with studio monitors and a subwoofer, EQ out frequencies that overlap too much between tracks, and use a good multiband maximize (compressor+limiter) on master (I'm using Waves L3-LL pretty much all the time).

Then you look at the result audio file in an editor like Ocenaudio, you want the file to look quite squashed but not a full-blown rectangle of madness. You don't want any frequencies on a spectrogram to be too bright or altogether missing. And you check the Statistics tab in Audio Properties, trying to hit Integrated Loudness at no quieter than -14 LUFS but no louder than -10 LUFS.

That's my mixing skills right there.

Thanks!

Haha, another vote for synthwave! Alright, I'll take it. And the sunglasses, too!

I'm glad you say that, it seems as if the experiment was successful then!

Thank you for the kind words. I'm SUPER grateful, no joke

Oh thank you, fellow Aphex fan!

(cool nod.)

BoC? Really? I wouldn't think of them listening to this! But thanks, I'll take it And yeah, I'm glad the track works without the kick.

I'm very happy you like it.

Thanks for listening!

Another recommendation to listen to. Thank you, this made the experiment worth trying regardless of the result!

The consensus seems that the experiment is a success. I'm glad!

Haha, I knew you'd comment on the piano bits! I'm also quite fond of details like that, and you noticed a ton of them. I appreciate the careful listen!

[quote=ddmm64]It's also weirdly unsettling to not have the kick! I can almost hear it even if it's not there.[/quote] Thanks! That was the goal, so I'm happy it seems it worked out. [quote=ViridianLoom]Ochre did something similar with Project Caelus, but he excluded all percussion from the album when he's typically known for his IDM style. I like this concept more though, it's an interesting limitation. [/quote] I learned of Barker's "Utility" album through this exercise, which also pretty much sheds all drums and percussion save for some white noise. So it was worth it just for the recommendations! [quote=judy]Really like how the piano comes back in and arpeggiates to lead us into the last third of the song, which I think is strongest. Nice work![/quote] I appreciate the time you took to listen and comment! [quote=nedsferatu]This feels really full and present in the mix and there is plenty of bass.[/quote] Yeah, I had to compensate for the kick drum with some extra bass, and you noticed! [quote=neon liminal]I'm gonna argue in this case that kickless techno + Linndrum has landed you firmly in the land of synthwave.[/quote] Hahaha, we're back at dissecting genres :D Love it! It's funny when I get more synthwave results when I'm not trying to actually make it :D [quote=jwh]your mixing skills are always so locked in[/quote] All I know is that you should listen with studio monitors and a subwoofer, EQ out frequencies that overlap too much between tracks, and use a good multiband maximize (compressor+limiter) on master (I'm using Waves L3-LL pretty much all the time). Then you look at the result audio file in an editor like Ocenaudio, you want the file to look quite squashed but not a full-blown rectangle of madness. You don't want any frequencies on a spectrogram to be too bright or altogether missing. And you check the Statistics tab in Audio Properties, trying to hit Integrated Loudness at no quieter than -14 LUFS but no louder than -10 LUFS. That's my mixing skills right there. [quote=Mission Crossing]Very cool!! Everything flows super well together.[/quote] Thanks! [quote=Devieus]I think I'll agree with my fellow furry friend and propose this is synthwave, 2:30 really seals it and I am in desperate need of full wrap-around neon sunglasses. - Raioh[/quote] Haha, another vote for synthwave! Alright, I'll take it. And the sunglasses, too! [quote=Drum Bender]Its interesting that even though the track is kick-less, the kick is still implied. It lets the listener create their own BD pattern in the garden of their mind.[/quote] I'm glad you say that, it seems as if the experiment was successful then! [quote=jegasus]This feels SUPER epic.[/quote] Thank you for the kind words. I'm SUPER grateful, no joke :) [quote=Sodabelly]Oohh such nice sounds here and lots of variety. Love it![/quote] Oh thank you, fellow Aphex fan! [quote=chr15m]lush.[/quote] (cool nod.) [quote=that_ranjit]Sort of like a dancy Boards of Canada. I dig it! The punch in the bass does a nice job of substituting for the kick, but not too heavy handed.[/quote] BoC? Really? I wouldn't think of them listening to this! But thanks, I'll take it :D And yeah, I'm glad the track works without the kick. [quote=Jason Nijjer]Interesting exercise to go kickless, I would say it is a great success, really like the sound pallet you created on this and the 80's interlude in the middle is one of the best parts, so glad you added it.[/quote] I'm very happy you like it. [quote=ocean palace]this is such a good track. fantastic work![/quote] Thanks for listening! [quote=cistern stairs]Reminds me of another artist I listen to called Bluetech.[/quote] Another recommendation to listen to. Thank you, this made the experiment worth trying regardless of the result! [quote=mukti]Cool idea for a track! Even without the kick, you can feel the beat and the potential for it.[/quote] The consensus seems that the experiment is a success. I'm glad! [quote=Tone Matrix]Oooh the cr drums sound awesome! Nicely panned with those lil percussive bits. The chord progression has a sinister feel to it. But those drums balance it out especially when the lead synths come in. Oooh the piano roll flowing into 303 is such a nice touch. Nice piano outro too! Great mix and moving track. [/quote] Haha, I knew you'd comment on the piano bits! I'm also quite fond of details like that, and you noticed a ton of them. I appreciate the careful listen!

really interesting build - what a journey! 

[img]https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=http%3A%2F%2Fi174.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fw84%2FRitchmeister%2Faxe.gif&f=1&nofb=1&ipt=216f91ed806444d6a949908cc6ddeda9ec8b74a5246795ee86e3489fc3945524&ipo=images[/img] really interesting build - what a journey!

Will continue the drumbeat and say the implied kick is really cool. Never heard of this but dig it. Makes for a less energetic vibe but easier listening it seems

Will continue the drumbeat and say the implied kick is really cool. Never heard of this but dig it. Makes for a less energetic vibe but easier listening it seems

The transition around 2:20 gave me happy brain fuzzies. Kickless techno is such a cool vibe. Great track all around.

The transition around 2:20 gave me happy brain fuzzies. Kickless techno is such a cool vibe. Great track all around.

The painting is not the only masterpiece here! Amazing work, yet again,

The painting is not the only masterpiece here! Amazing work, yet again,

Enjoyed this! Better without the kick! Focusses us in on some other elements and there's plenty of movement and percussion to hold it all down. I'll jump on the synth wavey vote for this too, though I'm not a big stickler with genres, sometimes just confuses and limits. I have always wanted to try some kickless techno/house something or other, this is inpiring to do so.

Enjoyed this! Better without the kick! Focusses us in on some other elements and there's plenty of movement and percussion to hold it all down. I'll jump on the synth wavey vote for this too, though I'm not a big stickler with genres, sometimes just confuses and limits. I have always wanted to try some kickless techno/house something or other, this is inpiring to do so.