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ROCKED OUT FAKE PITCH WHEEL ORDEAL (or: Now)

Lest this thing become a museum for all things 1988.... here's a nu track I slapped together this past Sunday, June 17, 2007.


Ian C Stewart "Rocked Out Fake Pitch Wheel Ordeal" MP3

On the ole Proteus (old = circa 1991) synth there's a preset called "ZoundTrax," which conveniently sounds very similar to my ole (old = circa 1985) Casio PT-3 micro keyboard. Which had this cheesy selection of chords on the left side, since the keyboard itself could only cope with one note at a time. The chords sound kind of like a pipe organ, but also not.

Back in the mid 1990s I embraced the PT's garish tones & overall uselessness for a series of 808 State and Ultramarine influenced 'ambient techno' songs, that later became the Samarkand album Pitch Wheel. That's when I found out that when I applied the harmonizer effect (adding a tone a 5th higher, I think it was) to the organ chords, it reminded me of "Pacific," one of my favorite-ever 808 State songs.

So I guess that's a roundabout way of saying the "ZoundTrax" patch reminds me of "Pacific." I sequenced that simple looped beat, adding a snare instead of just leaving it all bass drums. Hence the rocked-out aspect.

& the Yamaha fretless bass is trying its hardest to stay in tune.......
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