My newest EP is out now!
I'm proud to introduce, N • W.
N • W is an ambient, cinematic journey through moody instrumentation and dynamic highs and lows.
Here's a narration that distills the overall feeling of the music nicely.
And, here's an official music video for one of the tracks, "Cedar".
I hope you enjoy, N • W !
-Blake
In 2016, Mike Peaslee (of Soundiron) and I discussed the possibility of working on a nuanced sound design library that would capture the sort of textural layering I record in my music.
From those discussions, the Sonespheres series launched in early 2017 with the first volume, Distance.
I'm proud to announce that Volume 02, Origins, is available now from Soundiron.com.
Sonespheres 02 - Origins is a handcrafted collection of bespoke sound designed instruments derived from lush symphonic winds and my own recordings for this project. The material covers lots of ground with instruments created in categories such as keys, pads, bass, drops, risers, and hits.
All in, there is more than 1.7GB of content with over 300 wav files, scripted for Kontakt (full version 5.5.2+), but can also be dropped right into your DAW project since they are open format.
My hope is that composers, musicians, producers and artists will use these sounds as the colorful and ethereal base, on which to bring into focus their own artistic visions - be it in support of your stories, or those of the others with whom you work.
In Origins, I've tried to be thorough without being repetitive - to offer sounds that might work in a range of production styles and musical sensibilities. From bouncy and quirky keys and beautiful pads, to raw basses and earth shaking hits, I truly hope there's something here for everyone.
Thank you to the Soundiron team for their technological wizardry, wonderful catalog and their ability to maintain humanity in what could easily become a robotic effort. The massive task they undertake with each release makes me feel incredibly lucky and appreciative to be living as a composer in this era. A special thank you to Mike Peaslee for reaching out to me after hearing my work and asking me to assist in the vision of this project. His guidance on library development and his shepherding me with patience, openness and an appreciation for the art of music is the only way any of this was possible.
My newest full length album is out now!
I'm very proud to announce, T H E S I S.
T H E S I S is an album that is the product of years of experimentation and endless knowledge-seeking. I set out in late 2016 with the idea of creating an album that was a sort of benchmark for my abilities as a composer - utilizing the tools and lessons I've learned up to this point in my career.
I wanted to see how far I'd come, and how far I could still go.
I wanted it to be personal.
Album art by Anders Lönnfeldt
With my goal being to create something showcasing the extent of my abilities in the cinematic and ambient genres, I struggled more with this project than any other. It's sometimes hard to accept your limitations or to work through them in the pursuit of something that is better than "good enough".
It was a humbling experience, but also one of which I am extremely proud.
I hope you enjoy my thesis, my journey so far, my heart poured into audio waves, my take on cinematic music as a crucial support for storytelling,
-Blake
In 2016, Mike Peaslee (of Soundiron) and I discussed the possibility of working on a nuanced sound design library that would capture the sort of textural layering I record in my music.
From those discussions, the idea grew for this first volume in the Sonespheres series.
I'm proud to announce that, Distance, is available now from Soundiron.com.
Sonespheres 01 - Distance is a handcrafted collection of bespoke sound designed instruments derived from Soundiron's vast catalogue and my own sample recordings for this project. The material covered ranges from solo effected instruments to warm, beautiful pads and more.
All in, there is more than 1GB of content and some 305 long-looping 24/48 wav files, scripted for Kontakt (full version, 5.5.2+), but can also be dropped right into your DAW project since they are open format.
My hope is that you as musicians will use these sounds as the hazy, ethereal, ambiguous base, on which to bring into sharp focus your own artistic visions - Be it in support or your stories, or those of the others with whom you work.
In Distance, I’ve tried to be thorough without being repetitive - to offer sounds that might work in a range of production styles and musical sensibilities. From longing solo instruments and heartbreaking pads to tense bowed textures and forward-leaning rhythms, I truly hope there’s something here for everyone.
Thank you to the Soundiron team for their technological wizardry, wonderful catalog and their ability to maintain humanity in what could easily become a robotic effort. The massive task they undertake with each release makes me feel incredibly lucky and appreciative to be living as a composer in this era. A special thank you to Mike Peaslee for reaching out to me after hearing my work and asking me to assist in the vision of this project. His guidance on library development and his shepherding me with patience, openness and an appreciation for the art of music is the only way any of this was possible.
For Spitfire Chamber Strings, here's an updated version of the TouchOSC template, with the new Spitfire Audio branding...
See this post for the original journal entry about the template and further information about its use.
Here's the overview of the template...
Here's a close-up view of the template with some explanation...
For any questions on UACC or TouchOSC, check out these links:
Spitfire Audio has created a new articulation switching method, known as the UACC (Universal Articulation Controller Channel), to be used as a standard across their libraries.
It's currently at v2.
For more information on the nuts and bolts of how it works, and the philosophy behind it, please see these links:
UACC - A New Proposed Standard
Tutorials - Spitfire Audio - Changing Articulations
TouchOSC is an app for iOS and Android that relays OSC or MIDI values to a host DAW (via TouchOSC Bridge) over WiFi or USB.
Users may make various templates for their instruments/projects via a desktop program (TouchOSC Editor), and upload them to the mobile device that will be used as a controller.
For more information on how to setup TouchOSC, TouchOSC Editor and the TouchOSC Bridge applications, please see:
"Absolution" is a piece written for strings and programmed and recorded using Spitfire Audio's BML Sable library (full).
I used the combo Legato patches for each section, except the Basses, which use just the Fingered Legato patch.
Selle San Marco uses "Before" to introduce their new DiMA Selector system.
DiMA SELECTOR - Full version from San Marco on Vimeo.
Land Rover used the track, "Across the Sea", to introduce their new 2015 Discovery.
on the Spitfire Audio blog this week.
They're a great company who make great tools for the modern composer.
Spitfire Audio Blog - Demo Zone #2
Get some insights on my thoughts and process for writing demos, etc, and hear a lot of my work that showcases Spitfire's products in this week's post.
