Kanashibari

Description

The drones on this album were created using a Yamaha SY77 FM synthesizer from 1989. I have a special relationship with this device: it was the first "big" synth I bought, and it has contributed to almost everything I've recorded over the past 30 years... The SY77 features six FM operators with multi-stage loop envelopes. I've always enjoyed creating regular drones with it – sounds that slowly evolve into something new over time. The output of the SY77 is routed through a Dynacord DRP 20 reverb and recorded into a digital audio workstation (DAW). For each track, I recorded four layers: one with a very low note, one with a moderately low note, one with a high note, and one where I played freely, following my intuition. The results were then edited and slightly processed to reduce excessive noise in certain sections. I also occasionally added reverb and pitch modifications, using my own custom algorithms. Signal to Noise - Volume II picks up where my 2004 album Signal to Noise left off, revisiting the same techniques and the same instrument twenty-two years later." --Robert Henke