Abstracted Audio

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Thursday, 25 July 2013

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Designer=20 Dance Presentation

Link to online Prezi=20

Friday, 24 May 2013

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The=20 Use Of Space In Dub, And How This Has Influenced Modern Electronic = Music.=20 Presentation

Link to online Prezi

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Dub/Techno=20 Influenced Ableton Tutorials

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3DI1EGiUT0MQ0&feature=3Drelated= Producing=20 dub techno

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=3Dplayer_embedded&v= =3DPF2TQ3s5FuY
Minimal Techno Tutorial Pt = 1: Ableton=20 Live - Space & Dimension to Drums

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=3Dplayer_embedded&v= =3D-DdFq5RdK7w Richie=20 Hawtin style delay tutorial

http://www.youtube.= com/watch?v=3DtZVM9sxBZOI John=20 Selway. More than a bass line tutorial

https://www.ableton.com/answers/creating-dub-style-sounds-= like-brendon-moeller Creating=20 dub style sounds like brendon moeller

=20 http://www.youtube.= com/watch?v=3D8nCPnGnuzWs Ableton=20 Tutorial - How To Produce Dub Music - Drums

http://www.youtube.= com/watch?v=3DH8d70sR8lWI Ableton Live = Tutorial part=20 3/5 - The Dub Delay

http://www.youtube.= com/watch?v=3DbQ0DopG3BqsAbleton Tutorial - = Reverb -=20 Dub FX

http://www.youtube.= com/watch?v=3Djhc7EpxsiPk Ableton Tutorial - = Feedback=20 Soundscapes

http://vimeo.com/860391 = Dubbing out in Ableton = Live!

http://www.youtube.= com/watch?v=3DRxbLEywOB8c How to Make a Dub = Siren in=20 Ableton Live

http://www.youtube.= com/watch?v=3DRtJLo5o7IqY Ableton=20 Live tutorial - Ambient Dub techno in 12 minutes

http://www.youtube.= com/watch?v=3Dvq9x_1GmEnA How to Make Dub = Techno=20 Chords

http://vimeo.com/27854819 Rev= erb=20 Dub FX

http://www.youtube.= com/watch?v=3DI1EGiUT0MQ0 Producing Dub=20 Techno

http://www.youtube.= com/watch?v=3DVjiTAqf5Yns Dub=20 Snare Reverb

http://www.youtube.= com/watch?v=3DQkBF9hzaqbk Noise=20 Drone - Dub Techno Experiments with Ableton Live

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An=20 Investigation Into The Early Work of Dub Pioneer King Tubby, His Use of = Spatial=20 Effects, The Creation of Audiotopias and The Resulting Impact on Modern=20 Electronic Dance Music

Rob Harrison Leeds Metropolitan University=20 (2013)

Abstract

This paper = compares the production techniques of dub pioneer King Tubby, focusing on his use of = spatial effects to create new soundscapes or audiotopias, with the production techniques and use of spatial effects in electronic dance music. A = brief history of dub is covered along with an examination of the devices used = to=20 create spatial effects, and their uses in dub. An analysis of Roots Of = Dub by=20 Tubby is made focusing on the creative use of spatial effects and mixing = technique. The creation of audiotopias or temporary aural spaces created = through=20 music is discussed and related to how this is achieved in both dub and = EDM, by=20 comparing productions by King Tubby and UK EDM artist Shackleton. Dub = influences=20 in EDM are covered and an analysis of a dub techno track by Basic Chanel = is=20 compared to the analysed Tubby track. Finally the author concludes by = summing up=20 thefact that the creative misuse of = space and=20 spatial effects to create the main points of interest in the track, are = the characteristic sound of dub, and how this technique has been = utilisedby a new generation of EDM producers, to = construct new sounds and genres while echoing 1970's dub.

Key Words

King Tubby, Electronic Dance Music, EDM, = Spatial,=20 Effects, Space, Reverb, Delay, Audiotopia

Introduction

This paper aims = to examine=20 the creative use of spatial effects by dub pioneer King Tubby and how = these=20 effects such as reverb, delays, filtering and mix techniques have been = used to=20 create audiotopias, which are temporary aural spaces created through = music. This=20 paper will then go on to look at how the use of these spatial effects = and the creation of dub soundscapes or audiotopias, has influenced the = production techniques of modern electronic dance music or EDM.

"In 1976, Melody = Maker published an article by music critic Richard Williams entitled = =E2=80=9CThe Sound of Surprise.=E2=80=9D Williams=E2=80=99 essay was a short but prescient = description of the still-shockingly-new phenomenon of dub reggae. Williams prophetically = noted that =E2=80=9Cthere are possibilities inherent in this aberrant form = which could perhaps resonate throughout other musics in the years to come=E2=80=9D = (145). (Williams 1976 quoted in Baker 2009 pg.5). This statement demonstrates that from = the=20 beginnings of early dub an interest was taken in its innovative = production=20 techniques and how these techniques could possibly influence future = music. EDM=20 is a good example of a genre that has taken influences from dub's use of = space=20 and spatial effects and used it to create new sonic spaces, soundscapes = or audiotopias.

This paper will = focus on the influence of dub in electronic dance music or EDM. The term electronic = dance music covers a wide range of music, including genres such as techno, = breaks,=20 house, drum & bass and trance, and other more current sub genres = which even=20 more directly reference dub such as dubstep and bass. Although fans are = aware of=20 the characteristics of these separate genres of music, they are viewed = in the=20 same overall category. (Butler 2006). "As EDM has become more and more = diverse, however, these terms have come to refer to specific genres. Another = word "electronica" has been widely used in mainstream journalism since 1997" = (Butler=20 2006 pg.33) to describe this wider view of EDM. It is also worth noting = that the=20 use of the term EDM in this paper is not used to describe the commercial = sub=20 genre of electronic music which is currently popular in North America, = that is=20 being labelled EDM.

Although = the term EDM=20 implies this type of music will be specifically club music produced for = dancing=20 this is not always the case. Butler (2006) describes that while some = genres=20 migrate away from the dance floor they still display their relatedness = to EDM=20 traditions, while other musics develop and manipulate the conventions of = EDM so=20 much they are not suitable for dancing or are specifically produced for = not=20 dancing.

Methodology

The research = area will be=20 broken down into the following sections; What is Dub Reggae? A = Definition and=20 Brief History, Spatial Effects and Their Uses in Dub, The Creation of = Impossible=20 and Mystical Spaces or Audiotopias, Dub Influences in Electronic Music = and new=20 offshoot genres will also be looked at. By=20 investigating how these new genres of EDM make creative use of auditory = space=20 through the use of effects such as reverb, delay, filtering and the = creative use=20 of mixing and sound staging a greater understanding of the influence = that dub=20 has had on modern electronic music will be gained.

Investigation = will be made=20 into how space is created in dub tracks through creative mixing = techniques such=20 as the muting of instruments and the use of effects in their place. This = in turn brings the use of the effect to the foreground of the listener's = attention, creating the characteristic reverberant echoic sound of dub. This = technique has now become a staple procedure in the creation of EDM and comparisons = will be drawn through analysing tracks from both genres. Analysis of specific = tracks from each genre will be made and an examination of the spatial = qualities of=20 each track will be reviewed so comparisons can be made. The specific = uses of=20 spatial effects in dub such as reverb and delay will be investigated so = common=20 settings such as delay times that create characteristic dub sounds can = be=20 identified in modern productions. Investigation will be made into dub = production=20 techniques and what new possibilities these techniques open up with the = use of=20 new technology. An examination will take place of how these effects = devices were originally created to emulate real spaces, and how and where they have = been=20 misused creatively.

By breaking the = subject down=20 into these areas it is hoped that a greater appreciation of how these = types of effects are used within each genre is gained, which will result in the = ability to define dub influences in certain areas of electronic = music. =20

Definition and a History of = Dub

Dub originated = in Jamaica in=20 The 1960=E2=80=99s and consisted initially of instrumental = =E2=80=9Cversions=E2=80=9D of reggae tracks containing what was described as the "riddim" or just bass and drums. = Ehrlich=20 (1982 p. 106) defines dub as "a kaleidoscopic montage which takes sounds = originally intended as interlocking parts of another arrangement and = using them=20 as raw material, converts them into new and different sounds; then, in = its own=20 rhythm and format, it continually reshuffles these new sounds into = unusual=20 juxtapositions." The development of the genre dub took place when the = engineer=20 would take an instrumental version of a track to the next level, using = the=20 effects such as echo, reverb and delay along with filtering and mixing=20 techniques such as dropping certain tracks in and out of the mix to = change the=20 whole sound and texture of the riddim. Some of the original pioneers of = the dub=20 sound included King Tubby, Rudolf "Ruddy" Redwood and Lee Scratch Perry = and his=20 band The Upsetters. =E2=80=9CRuddy played a key role in the initial = development of dub,=20 as he was the first to make a public performance of what would become = known as a=20 "version" - the instrumental mix of a song without the vocals.=E2=80=9D = (Bush=20 unknown)

There were many = travelling outdoor sound systems in Jamaica in the 1960's. One of the biggest = sound systems of this time period was owned by Ruddy in Spanish Town. Known = as Ruddy=E2=80=99s Supreme Ruler of Sound, he had one of the most = impressive selections of music, as he had a long relationship with Duke Reid, one of = Jamaica=E2=80=99s leading producers of the time. Ruddy had access to a number of exclusive = recordings from Duke=E2=80=99s Treasure Isle Studio, giving him an edge over other = sound system operators (Barrow and Dalton 1997, p. 200).

The development = of the genre=20 dub took place when the engineer would take an instrumental version of a = track=20 to the next level, using the effects such as echo, reverb and delay to = change=20 the whole sound and texture of the riddim. Historically echo and reverb = effects=20 had been used to put the musical parts of a track in a space, creating a = realistic acoustic environment for the recorded music to exist in. This = created=20 an extra dimension of realism around the music as "reverberation and = delay=20 simply are sonic attributes of physical space." (Doyle 2005 pg.14). = The=20 use of reverberant or echoic sonics can suggest an array of different = spaces=20 such as wide open landscapes, deserted streets late at night, dark = subterranean=20 spaces, or grand mountains and canyons. (Doyle 2005). Dub artists = took the=20 devices used to suggest these real spaces and creatively misused them by performing live "dub" mixes in the studio where they would use the = effects as=20 instruments in a musical fashion, bringing the studio, effects and = producer to=20 the front of the stage.

=E2=80=9CThis = was the turning point=20 in which dub emerged as a unique and characteristic branch of music = itself, and can be credited almost entirely to the contributions of a mixing = engineer known as King Tubby.=E2=80=9D (Bush). King Tubby ran his own sound system in = Kingston at the time called Tubby=E2=80=99s Hometown Hi Fi. Tubby, who was experienced = in electronics through his background in TV repairs customised his mixing desk at his = studio in the ghetto district Waterhouse in Kingston, adding faders which = allowed him to add or subtract the various elements of the tracks smoothly. He also = created his own effects units by modifying tape machines to create delays, and = hitting spring reverb units which created the characteristic thunderclap sound = used in dub. =E2=80=9CTubby=E2=80=99s innovations behind the mixing board = introduced to Jamaica the idea of the mixing engineer playing a creative role in the = music.=E2=80=9D (Bush unknown).

Spatial = Effects and=20 Techniques and Their Uses in Dub

In order to = investigate how=20 the spatial effects used in dub have influenced other genres first we = must=20 define what effects are used to create the illusion of space and how = they have=20 been used in dub. Reverberation is the most common effect used to create = space. Izhaki (2012 pg.405) describes reverb in the following way, =E2=80=9CIn = nature, reverb is observed mostly within enclosed spaces, such as rooms. Reverbs are = easier to understand if we imagine an impulse sound, like a hand clap, emitted = from a sound source in an empty room. Such a sound will propagate in a = spherical fashion and for simplicity we should regard it as travelling in all = directions. The emitted sound will travel in a direct path to a listener (or a = microphone) followed by reflections that bounced from the walls, floor and ceiling. = These will be gradually followed by denser reflections that have bounced many = times from many surfaces. As sound both diminishes when travelling through = air and being absorbed by surface materials, the reflections will slowly decay = in amplitude...In mixing, we use reverb emulators, either hardware units = or software plug-ins, to simulate this natural phenomenon.=E2=80=9D = Figure 1 below=20 shows the decay of reverberation over time.

A characteristic = dub reverb=20 sound is the spring reverb. The spring reverb works by using the = physical=20 movement of a spring to generate the reflections which creates a = metallic=20 shimmering sound more suited to creating musical reverberant tail = effects than=20 creating realistic sonic spaces. These shimmering metallic effects could = then be filtered and edited during the performance of a dub mix changing their = sonic properties in real time creating new musical effects. = =E2=80=9CReverberation does much to define what we perceive as timbre, volume and sound colouration, and = largely determines our perceptions of directionality and nearness.=E2=80=9D = (Doyle 2004 pg.3). These perceptions of timbre and sound colour could now be modified = through the use of effects to produce new sounds and spaces by dub artists, "echo = and reverb effects changed (in some cases at least) from being a covertly = used producer's technique to an increasingly emphasised, featured = gimmick.=E2=80=9D (Doyle 2004 pg.9)

Delay is another = common=20 effect used to create space in audio recordings. Delays also happen = naturally in nature when a sound is reflected off a hard surface and the reflection = is heard milliseconds after the initial sound. A reverberant field is made up of = many tiny delays reflected off surfaces in an enclosed environment. Sound = and space are inherently linked as when an object is sounded in an = environment, the=20 sound travels outward from the object bouncing off all surfaces = (or not in=20 an open space) thus imparting the spatial properties of the location = onto the=20 timbre of the sound. "It is almost impossible to hear a sound without=20 instinctively seeking the source of the sound - where the sound is = coming from,=20 who or what has produced that sound." (McCombe 2001 pg.2)

Hodgson (2010 = pg.124) states=20 =E2=80=9Cthe simple delay line is the building block of all delay = processing=20 techniques.=E2=80=9D Then continues to describe how audio signals are = fed into a delay=20 line where the signal is split and a copy is stored for a certain amount = of time=20 before being passed to the output after the direct signal. All delay = units and=20 plug-in effects have 3 basic settings which are the delay time or the = amount of=20 time between the input signal and the copy arriving at the output. The = mix=20 setting which adjusts the balance between the input signal and the = delayed copy,=20 and the feedback which controls the amount of the delayed signal which = is routed back to the input.

Roots Of Dub = (1976) by King=20 Tubby provides many excellent examples of the creative misuse of reverb = and=20 delay devices. This is achieved through not using these types of effects = to=20 place a sound in a convincing acoustic space but using them in a = creative manor=20 to compose additional musical content. This technique could be achieved = by=20 manipulating the controls on the unit during the dub mix and changing = delay=20 times or feedback mix controls for example.

The initial = snare hits at=20 0:02 are soaked in a cavernous reverb conveying the effect of an = immeasurable=20 space. Baker (2009 pg.27) describes Tubby's reverb technique in the = following=20 way "Tubby=E2=80=99s percussive use of reverb =E2=80=9Cwidens=E2=80=9D = the track, giving the listener an=20 impression of deep canyons and limitless plains." The sax which comes in = at 0:04=20 is accented at the end of each phrase with a 1/4 note or possibly dotted = 1/4=20 offbeat delay which provides an alternate rhythm. As the sax part ends = at 0.19=20 the delay lines expand with the use of feedback, EQ and pushing them up = in the=20 mix, they then take over from the original instrument part becoming the = centre=20 of attention. This technique differs from previous uses of reverb and = delay as=20 it is not covertly used as producer's technique to place a sound in an = acoustic=20 environment but as an emphasised, featured, characteristic of the music. =

Between 0:30 and = 0:37 we=20 hear the wet dry mix of the snare reverb being adjusted between each hit = in the=20 phrase giving a dry punch to some and leaving other hits hanging in = Tubby's=20 fabricated, unnatural space. Throughout the track we hear the fragmented = remains=20 of the guitar skank, occasionally breaking out through the mix, each = time only=20 to disappear, leaving a trail of delays behind. Again the delay is = around a 1/4 note and is arrhythmic to the rest of the track providing a = counterpoint off beat rhythm. The fact that the delay times are roughly the same on each instrument would suggest they are used on a return channel and the send = control of each track is being manipulated when a sound is sent to the delay = effect.=20

At 1:08-1:15 we = hear only=20 the wet reverb signal from the snare without any dry hits which is in = turn=20 filtered rhythmically creating a strange whooshing sound far removed = from an=20 actual snare hit, this technique is a trademark King Tubby sound. At = around 2:36=20 after a hypnotic groove has been set up by the drums, bass, hammond and = finally guitar on the top of the mix, the hammond and guitar are removed, again = leaving only the arrhythmic delay line from the last guitar note. This = technique creates a counterpoint rhythmic morendo switching the focus from the = groove previously set. At 3:12 in the dying seconds of the outro we hear the = sax delay level brought right up and filtered.

Through the = examples=20 presented in this track it is easy to see that the use of reverb and = delay have=20 not been employed to create a natural sounding space but rather as = instruments=20 in their own right, still creating space, but an other worldly space = used for=20 musical effect. These techniques are performed by the producer or = engineer=20 during the dub mix and are specific studio techniques which would not = have been=20 heard before during live performances of the original tracks. This is = one of=20 dub's innovations, bringing an extra area of creativity into the studio = at the=20 mix stage and giving control of the sound and overall feel of the = production to=20 the engineer or producer of the track.

From the = analysis of the use=20 of spatial effects in this track we can see that the acoustic properties = of the space created are not intended to portray a real world environment but = instead are used as sound colours and rhythms in their own right. The delay = lines and reverb are accentuated with additional mixing and processing putting = them on display at the front of the mix as if King Tubby is the front man of = the band, although this performance was completed in the studio using the mixing = desk and effects as instruments.

Another aspect = of the use of space is creative sound staging. Moylan (2008) states "the sound stage = is the=20 singular area occupied by all of the sound sources of the music, as an = aggregate=20 or group. It has an apparent physical size of width and depth that = are=20 defined at the level of the individual sound source: (1) the dimension = of width=20 is defined by the furthest right and left sound (lateral localization) = and (2)=20 the dimension of depth is defined by the most distant sound source and = the=20 closest sound source."

Using Roots Of = Dub as an=20 example again and taking into account Moylan's ideas on the sound stage = the mix=20 can be described as follows. The kick is panned to the centre and is = also=20 roughly in the middle of the mix as it is not too prominent. The snare = is also=20 panned to the centre, but moves back and forth in the mix as it is faded = in and=20 out for effect. The snare delays seem to skirt around the back of the = mix and=20 out wide to the edges. The hats are panned out wide left with a short = delay=20 panned right giving a widening effect. The bass is also in the centre = and is=20 locked to the kick creating the groove and also seems to take up a large = space=20 in the centre of the mix. The skank or chops of the hammond and guitar = are also=20 panned to the centre but the elements are switched back and forth as = they are=20 faded, muted and filtered in and out on the mix. The sax is up front as = a lead=20 instrument with its delays seeming to skirt around the front of the mix = to the=20 wide edges and back which seems to be a similar effect used with the = guitar=20 delays. The barely audible vocals make a brief appearance panned to the = left of=20 the sound stage

Here we can see = that the unnatural movement of the delay feedback and tails build up in the mix = after the initial impact or note which has sounded them. This is used as a = creative device in dub were the original instrument is removed leaving the = effect tail making a specific point of the audience listening to the effects rather = than them being almost invisible but creating a natural space for the music = to exist in. This phenomenon can be attributed to the fact that the engineer is = the artist in dub and his instruments are his studio, mixing desk and = effects. Here is a major connection in how dub has influenced EDM, most EDM producers = work=20 solely in the box using effects and software instruments to create their = music.=20 These ideas and techniques were pioneered by dub artists in 1960's and=20 70's.

Zagorski-Thomas = (2010) takes=20 this idea of the sound stage further to functional staging stating, = =E2=80=9Cfunctional staging is a concept building on the idea of phonographic staging = ...The staging of sounds in the record production process is considered to be functional if the reason for their particular placement or treatment is = related to the practicalities of audience reception rather than to = aesthetics.=E2=80=9D=20 (Zagorski-Thomas 2010 pg.1). This can be related to the fact that dub = was originally created to be played on the PA systems of the travelling = sound systems in Jamaica and how much of EDM is designed for playback over = club systems. These factors force certain choices to be made such as the = main rhythm sections, kick, bass and snares all to be panned centre leaving space = on the wide edges for effects, a technique seen often in EDM.

The creation of impossible and mystical = spaces=20

Doyle (2004) = discusses=20 harnessing the echo stating that this allows the mystical properties of=20 reverberant sound to be =E2=80=9Charnessed=E2=80=9D and used by = producers through the=20 development of technology. Dub artists with a strong connection to the=20 Rastafarian religion were looking to create this connection with = =E2=80=9Cthe other=E2=80=9D or=20 to create something new and unheard before which could give them the = edge in a=20 "sound clash" between two competing sound systems. "Doyle=E2=80=99s = assertion that=20 natural reverberant spaces can possess sacred qualities has particular=20 implications for Jamaica=E2=80=99s Rastafarians, whose belief in the = =E2=80=9Cital=E2=80=9D (natural)=20 stresses humanity=E2=80=99s spiritual connection to the earth." (Baker = 2009 pg.23). =E2=80=9CIn=20 the ancient world there were deep linkages between reverberant space and = the=20 sacred or magical.=E2=80=9D (Bates 2007 pg.2). Doyle (2004 pg.43) states = there is =E2=80=9Can=20 integral and enduring connection between what might be called = =E2=80=9Creverberancy=E2=80=9D and=20 the sacred.=E2=80=9D Since ancient times reverberant spaces have been = thought to have=20 had mystical, sacred or religious properties. Churches and cathedrals = are=20 designed to be reverberant and amplify the voice, while sacred caves = served as=20 some of the first natural religious spaces.

Baker (2009) = uses =E2=80=9CJosh=20 Kun=E2=80=99s theories about =E2=80=9Caudiotopias=E2=80=9D (temporary = aural spaces created through=20 music)=E2=80=9D to describe dub=E2=80=99s soundscapes created with the = use of echo and reverb=20 effects. =E2=80=9CIn order to study how sonic spaces create =E2=80=9Cnew = maps=E2=80=9D that allow an=20 individual to analyze their current social predicament. These = =E2=80=9Cnew maps,=E2=80=9D=20 therefore, engender a =E2=80=9Cremapping=E2=80=9D of reality, a = reconstitutive process that=20 parallels dub=E2=80=99s emphasis on modification and = alteration.=E2=80=9D (Baker 2009 pg.ii).=20 The use of reverberation and delay effects along with creative mixing = and=20 soundstage techniques combined an extra spatial dimension creating = strange dub=20 soundscapes that had not been heard before and with an emphasis on the = rhythm=20 section, this has become the characteristic dub sound. "Dub artists = utilized=20 reverb to construct sonic spaces that sounded as if they were free of = human=20 impediment and therefore full of possibility." Baker (2009 pg.26). =

Baker then goes = on to=20 describe how dub=E2=80=99s audiotopias can be described as natural which = is problematic=20 as these alternate spaces which are created, serve to remove the = listener from=20 the everyday, therefore cannot be described as natural. Also Baker = contradicts himself with this statement by talking about giving the listener an = impression of deep canyons and limitless plains. The spaces created through the = creative use of effects in dub were never meant to be natural, with the help of = the previously mentioned effects Dub artists were able to create impossible soundscapes or audiotopia=E2=80=99s which do not relate to any real = world acoustic spaces.

EDM has pushed = the idea of audiotopias to new limits from where dub left off, this is primarily = due to advances in technology. With the ever expanding computer power which is = accessible to today's producers and the myriad of hardware and software = products=20 available for creating innovative visionary, spatial auditory vistas = that can be=20 real or imaginary, the creation of space in recorded music or sound = design has=20 never had so many varying options. Convolution reverbs for example now = offer the possibility of taking impulse response data from any space imaginable = and applying them to a sound. A convolution reverb samples the acoustics of = real spaces, usually by setting up a microphone in the acoustic environment = then emitting a short pulse of sound such as the crack of a snare or a = gunshot. The microphone would pick up the initial sound along with the acoustic = response of the room, this data can then be loaded into a software program and = applied to incoming sounds in order to simulate the acoustics of the sampled = space.

Music For The = Quiet Hour=20 (2012) by Shackleton is a single experimental/bass composition spread = over five=20 parts and 60 minutes. Shackleton is a UK bass and dubstep artist who = produces=20 dark brooding minimal compositions which are experimental and focus on = creating weird immersive sonic landscapes. Music For The Quiet Hour is a journey = through strange sonic landscapes far removed from the dance floor but still = holding on to the extreme experimental edge of the UK bass and dubstep genre where Shackleton made his name. Shackleton's dub influences are easy to spot = in his work with a minimal production ethic, heavy bass and emphasis on = spatial effects. Shackleton's previous album was also titled Soundboy's = Gravestone Gets Desecrated By Vandals, this takes clear influence from the King Tubby = track Soundboy Massacre.

During Part 4 of = Music For=20 The Quiet Hour at 3:39 a strange vocal appears with stuttered repeating = rhythmic delays which have no bearing to any real world echo giving the vocal a = strange machine like quality. The delay line begins to bounce around the stereo = field in an almost random fashion creating a disorientating ambience against = the low frequency drone texture in the background. At 6:00 a high frequency = canopy appears submerged in a glass like reverb almost giving the feeling that = you are entering an ice cave. The spoken vocal that enters at 6:51 as accented = by an 1/8 note metallic rhythmic delay at the end of the last word in the = phrase which provides a rhythmic pulse leading you into the next phrase. Baker = 2009=20 (pg.41) describes this technique as a "Dub=E2=80=99s rhythmic = decentring," then goes on=20 to state (this) "can be read as simply another example of the = genre=E2=80=99s emphasis=20 on fragmentation. Dub=E2=80=99s echoic alternate rhythms are never fully = established,=20 after all. They do not overtake the rhythmic foreground but instead = remain=20 within the song=E2=80=99s defining background, influencing the = listener=E2=80=99s awareness of=20 sonic space. They are incomplete, offering only a hint at the = possibilities=20 offered by the audiotopia." (Baker 2009 pg.41).

A metallic = sounding reverb=20 floats behind the vocals and stuttering claps weaving in and out of the = mix=20 almost as if it is used like a pad. Shackleton's whole Music For The = Quiet Hour composition is an excellent example of how the creation of imaginary = spaces can be pushed to its visionary pictorial limits through the use of new = technology.=20 Each new sound which emerges has a new delay or reverberant effect, and = these effects are not applied in a hap hazard way but are crafted and shaped = to create an other worldly audiotopia.

Dub Influences in EDM

Through the = creative=20 miss-use of studio equipment and effects dub producers have cut = themselves a=20 niche as a new class of artist where the producer was the main focus = rather than=20 the band. This is where the lasting influence of dub can be seen over = all=20 electronic music. As stated earlier dubs main focus is on the bass and = drums or=20 =E2=80=9Criddim.=E2=80=9D This characteristic of boosting the rhythm = section of a track can be=20 seen in most genres of modern electronic music such as hip-hop, house, = techno, jungle/drum n bass, breaks, dub step and electronica. New technology = such as digital reverbs and delays enable today=E2=80=99s electronic artists to = create impossible spaces through the use of algorithms such as convolution = reverbs.=20 The majority of modern electronic music employs the use of impossible = acoustic spaces for the effect of trying to create something new and unheard = before. This can be traced directly back to the original dub artists even if = the modern artist would not cite dub as an influence on their music.

Some areas of = house and=20 techno (and indeed other forms of EDM) discount any influence from dub = and=20 instead only look to their origins in Chicago, Detroit and the late = 1980's to=20 early 1990's acid house coming from the UK. While it is the prerogative = of any=20 producer to state his or her own influences, a wider perspective view of = music=20 as a whole shows that some of the areas of innovation that were started = by dub=20 eventually made their way through the ears and culture of many countries = and=20 certain things happening around the world can come together into a wider = cultural pot of knowledge. Taking this into account the production = practices of=20 every EDM producer cannot be directly traced back to dub but the = production=20 techniques discussed in this paper can be seen throughout many genres of = music=20 proving dub has had a wide and long lasting influence.

Butler (2006 = pg.46)=20 discusses how jungle/drum & bass was a significant development of = the=20 1990's stating that it "combines accelerated drum patters = ("breakbeats")=20 sampled from percussion only sections ("breaks") of old funk records = with half=20 tempo bass lines influenced by reggae." A good example of dub influence = in drum=20 & bass is Marcus Intalex's Emergency Dub, along with the obvious = offbeat dub=20 skank chords on beats 2 and 4 and dub influenced bass line, arrhythmic = delays=20 float in and out of the mix again providing a counterpoint off beat = rhythm in=20 much the same pattern as King Tubby's. At around 2:57 during the break = down the=20 dub chords are panned slightly left while their short delay is panned = hard right=20 and processed with distortion. This gives the effect of the sound moving = across=20 the stereo field while still separating the delay effect from the dry = sound.=20

=20

The explosion of = the dubstep=20 sound around the world in the last decade has in turn seen dub = influences across=20 the board in EDM. The minimalist sound of dub and focus on rhythm = section of the track fits perfectly into the techno production ethic. Many techno dj's = have started to incorporate dub, dubstep and dub influenced music into their = dj=20 sets, which has in turn influenced techno production. An example of this = could=20 be Ricardo Villalobos who was routinely including The Rope Tightens by=20 Shackleton during his gigs and was soon asked to remix Blood On My Hands = also by=20 Shackleton, this promptly connected the two once separate genres by = delivering a=20 dark dub techno mix. This connection, although not new' sparked new = interest in=20 dub sounds through the techno scene.

Basic Chanel are = credited=20 with the creation of dub techno in the early 1990's and listening to = their early productions it is easy to pick out their dub influence. Quadrant Dub = and e2e4 Basic Reshape by Basic Chanel both have a stripped back, bass heavy, = minimal sound and are washed in delay and reverb. The opening of e2e4 Basic = Reshape features a heavy 4/4 kick drum pattern, a deep arpeggiated bass line = and strange metallic percussive hits that jump around the stereo field with = short delays that bounce back and forth between the speakers. At 0.22 a high frequency synth squelch appears in an erratic pattern with a high pass = filter making short sweeps giving the sound more movement. This synth squelch = is treated with a 1/4 note offbeat delay although the erratic pattern of = notes produces broken disorientating delay lines which bounce around the = stereo field combining with the metallic hits. At 0.50 faint reverberant chords are = heard with another arrhythmic delay that has a slightly slower delay time = giving them a distant lazy feel. At 1.01 the synth squelch subtly builds in high = frequency energy giving the delay lines an insect like quality. The reverb level = and decay time are turned up on the metallic percussive hits creating a = short high frequency canopy at 1.17. From 1.29 the frequency of the reverb on the = distant chord begins to be modulated creating a washing in and out texture = while the delays start to bounce between the speakers gaining intensity. = Throughout the rest of the track while the stark minimal instrumentation does not = change apart from the occasional glitch or points of granular sound, the reverb and = delay settings are constantly modulated which produces a shifting, morphing = alien soundscape that could be a sound track to a sci-fi film. This = modulation of the effects through the track provides the main focus against the minimal = groove supplied by the kick and bass. Here we can draw direct comparisons with = the production techniques of King Tubby where the focus is also on using = the manipulation of the spatial effects to provide interest against a = hypnotic groove. There is now a cross pollination between techno and = bass/dubstep where artists mainly producing dubstep or bass are now experimenting with = techno=20 sounds creating a strong connection between genres.

Conclusion

Radio 1 reggae = and dub dj=20 Don Letts describes dub as "a head trip" going on to state "it=E2=80=99s = instinctive,=20 but hard to visualise. It=E2=80=99s ethereal. But what I always liked = about it was that=20 there is enough space in the music to put yourself in the mix.=E2=80=9D = (Moskowitz). The=20 space in dub is created by the muting and fading in and out of the = instruments=20 and the creative use of spatial effects such as reverb and delay which = provides=20 the main focus against the groove. An alien sounscape is constructed for = the=20 bass and drums to exist in who provide a hypnotic beat able to transport = the=20 listener into the new world of the audiotopia. These spaces or = audiotopias which=20 are created, are the main characteristic of dub = where the=20 engineer or producer is the artist and the focus is on their performance = in the=20 studio rather than the band.

Through the = analysis of the=20 King Tubby and Basic Chanel tracks we can see similarities in their = production techniques and overall feel and vibe, where the use of spatial effects = as instruments creates the main points of interest in the track, rather = than the conventional use of these devices to create realistic spaces. EDM has = first taken the focus of the rhythm section enabling a steady beat for = dancing but along with this has also take the dub production ethic to create = extra=20 musical content, and alternate spaces, through the misuse of spatial = effects.=20 These characteristics of dub production can be seen over all genres of = EDM and=20 with the dissemination of the dubstep sound around the world a new = interest in=20 dub sounds and production techniques has been ignited proving that = possibilities=20 inherent in dub reggae do resonate throughout other forms of music, and = will do=20 for years to come.

=20

References and = Bibliography

Baker. J. (2009) Natural audiotopias: The = construction of sonic space in dub reggae. Scholar Commons, University of South = Florida. (Accessed 21/09/12) = http://scholarcommons.usf.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=3D2841&cont= ext=3Detd

Barrow. S. and Dalton. P. (1997) Reggae: The = Rough Guide. Rough Guides Ltd. London

Bates. M. (2007) The Representation of Space in = Audio and Audiovisual Works. ARP Conference Paper (Accessed 12/10/2012) http://www.artofrecordproduction.com/content/view/104/95/

Bush. J. (unknown) Dub Revolution: The Story of = Jamaican=20 Dub Reggae and Its Legacy. (Accessed 27/10/12) http://debate.uvm.edu/dreadlibrary/bush.html

Butler. M. (2006) Unlocking The Groove. Rhythm, = Meter,=20 and Musical Design in EDM. Indiana University Press

Camilleri. L. (2010) Shaping sounds, shaping = spaces.=20 Popular Music, 29, pp 199-211

Campbell. M. & Greated. C. (1987) The = Musician=E2=80=99s=20 Guide to Acoustics. Oxford University Press

Case. A. (2007) Sound FX: Unlocking The = Creative=20 Potential Of Recording Studio Effects

Doyle. P. (2004) From 'My Blue Heaven' to 'Race = with the Devil': echo, reverb and (dis)ordered space in early popular music = recording. Popular Music, Vol. 23, No. 1 (Jan., 2004), pp. 31-49. Cambridge = University Press.

Doyle. P. (2005) Echo & Reverb: Fabricating = Space in Popular Music Recording 1900-1960. Wesleyan University Press, = Middletown.

Doyle. P. (2004) From 'My Blue Heaven' to 'Race = with the Devil': echo, reverb and (dis)ordered space in early popular music = recording.=20 Popular Music, Vol. 23, No. 1 (Jan., 2004), pp. 31-49. Cambridge = University=20 Press.

Ehrlich. L. (1982) X-Ray Music and The Reggae=20 Arrangement. Davis, Stephen and Simon, Peter. Reggae International. R = and B. New=20 York.

Hodgson. J. (2010) Understanding Records: A = Field Guide=20 to Recording Practice. Continuum International Publishing, New = York.

Izhaki. R. (2012) Mixing Audio: Concepts = Practices and Tools. 2nd Edition. Focal Press

www.magicmess.co.uk/electronics/spring.php = (Accessed 27/10/12)

McCombe. C. (2001) Imagining space through = sound. UK and Ireland Soundscape Community Conference: Sound Practice, 16-20 Feb, = Dartington, Devon, UK. Available here: http://epr= ints.qut.edu.au/295/1/Mccombe_imagining.PDF

Moylan. W. (2007) Understanding and Crafting = the Mix.=20 Focal Press

Moylan. W. (2008) Considering Space in Music. = (Accessed 21/09/12)

http://www.artofrecordproduction.com/content/view/180/109/

Moskowitz. G. (Unknown) THE ENTICING THUMP OF = "DUB=20 ECHOES" (Accessed 01/04/13)=20 http://moreintelligentlife.co.uk/blog/dub-fest-east-london

Pierce. L. (2010) Gateways to Geekery: Dub. = (Accessed 10/12/12) http://www.avclub.com/articles/dub,37601/

Zagorski-Thomas. S. (2010). The stadium in your = bedroom: functional staging, authenticity and the audience led aesthetic in = record production. Popular Music, 29, pp 251-266.

Discography

Basic Chanel - e2e4 Basic Reshape (1995) = Basic Chanel. Germany

Available here: http://www.youtube.= com/watch?v=3DTEwLPXDlEyE

King Tubby - Roots Of Dub. The Roots Of Dub = LP (1976) Total Sounds. Jamaica.

Available here: http://www.youtube.= com/watch?v=3DJWEvskcyGtU

Marcus Intalex - Emergency Dub (forthcoming = 2013)=20 Soul:r (Fabric). UK.

Available here: http://www.youtube.= com/watch?v=3D7cGg6aodWPU

Shackleton - Blood On My Hands (Ricardo = Villalobos=20 mix) Skull Disco. UK.

Available here: http://www.youtube.= com/watch?v=3DKQr6m2l2J-Y

Shackleton - Music For The Quiet Hour (2012) = Woe To=20 The Septic Heart! UK.

Part 4 available here: http://www.dailymotion.com/video= /xrfy09_shackleton-music-for-the-quiet-hour-part-four_music#.UZyL5rU3t8E<= /A>

Shackleton - The Rope Tightens (2008) Skull = Disco.=20 UK

Available=20 here: http://www.youtube.= com/watch?v=3D-4A_3FpACxc=20

=20 =20

Dub=20 Influences in EDM

Through=20 the creative miss-use of studio equipment and effects dub producers have = cut=20 themselves a niche as a new class of artist where the producer was the = main=20 focus rather than the band. This is where the lasting influence of dub = can be=20 seen over all electronic music. As stated earlier dubs main focus is on = the bass=20 and drums or =E2=80=9Criddim.=E2=80=9D This characteristic of boosting = the rhythm section of a=20 track can be seen in most genres of modern electronic music such as = hip-hop,=20 house, techno, jungle/drum n bass, breaks, dub step and=20 electronica. New = technology such=20 as digital reverbs and delays enable today=E2=80=99s electronic artists = to create impossible spaces through the use of algorithms such as convolution = reverbs.=20 The majority of modern electronic music employs the use of impossible = acoustic spaces for the effect of trying to create something new and unheard = before. This can be traced directly back to the original dub artists even if = the modern artist would not cite dub as an influence on their music.

References and=20 Bibliography

Butler. M. (2006) Unlocking The Groove. Rhythm, = Meter,=20 and Musical Design in EDM. Indiana University Press

Monday, 7 January 2013

=20 =20

From=20 'My Blue Heaven' to 'Race with the Devil': echo, reverb and (dis)ordered = space=20 in early popular music recording. Doyle. P. (2004)

Written=20 by Peter Doyle (2004) Popular Music, Vol. 23, No. 1 (Jan., 2004), pp. = 31-49. Cambridge University Press.

Useful Quotes;

=20

Doyle=20 (2004) discusses that fact that echoes have a mystical quality then = analyses=20 various recordings from the period of 1920 through to the 1950=E2=80=99s = looking at the=20 use of spatial effects.

=E2=80=9CReverberation does much to define what we perceive as timbre, volume and sound = colouration, and largely determines our perceptions of directionality and = nearness.=E2=80=9D (Doyle 2004 pg.3)

=E2=80=9CRecordings became capable of picking up room ambience, of carrying, in other = words, significant sonic information about the spaces in which they were made. = Of this last point, Gelatt says:... the 'atmosphere' surrounding music in the = concert hall could now be simulated on records. Musicians were no longer forced = to work ... directly before a recording horn but could play in spacious studios = with proper reverberation characteristics.=E2=80=9D (Gelatt 1977, p .=20 223)

=E2=80=9CIncreasingly during the late 1940s and early 1950s, some producers and musicians = began to use echo effects to render unfixed, or (at least in part) anti-linear,=20 self-consciously weird and/or futuristic spaces. And certain of the = older style=20 pictorially anchored spatial recordings during this period began to = display an=20 increasingly exaggerated pictorial field, as echo and reverb effects = changed (in=20 some cases at least) from being a covertly used producer's technique to = an=20 increasingly emphasised, featured gimmick.=E2=80=9D (Doyle 2004=20 pg.9)

=E2=80=9CLes=20 Paul arguably did more than any other single operator in the recording = industry=20 to break the 'authenticity nexus' between the actual performance and the = final recorded product, and some of his most arresting devices involved = deliberate=20 spatial plays.=E2=80=9D (Doyle 2004 pg.10)

=20 =20 =20

Spatial=20 Effects and Their Uses in Dub

In order to investigate how the spatial effects = used in=20 dub have influenced other genre first we must define what effects are = used to create the illusion of space and how they have been used in dub.

Reverberation is the most commonly used effect = used to create space. Izhaki (2012 pg.405) describes reverb in the following = way, =20

=E2=80=9CIn = nature, reverb is=20 observed mostly within enclosed spaces, such as rooms. Reverbs are = easier to=20 understand if we imagine an impulse sound, like a hand clap, emitted = from a=20 sound source in an empty room. Such a sound will propagate in a = spherical=20 fashion and for simplicity we should regard it as travelling in all = directions.=20 The emitted sound will travel in a direct path to a listener (or a = microphone)=20 followed by reflections that bounced from the walls, floor and ceiling. = These=20 will be gradually followed by denser reflections that have bounced many = times=20 from many surfaces. As sound both diminishes when travelling through air = and=20 being absorbed by surface materials, the reflections will slowly decay = in=20 amplitude. Reverb is the collective name given to the sound created by = bounced=20 reflections from room boundaries (which we consider to be the main = reverb=20 contributors, although in a room there might be many surfaces). In = mixing, we=20 use reverb emulators, either hardware units or software plugins, to = simulate=20 this natural phenomenon.=E2=80=9D

=E2=80=9CEach = time a waveform=20 reflects some energy is absorbed by the surface and each time a waveform = is=20 diffused the energy is divided among the reflections and so over time = the=20 amplitude of reverberation decays until it is inaudible. As sound takes = time to=20 travel around a room (344meters per second at room temperature) each = reflection arrives at the listener later than the last reflection and so the = reverberation is audible for a longer period of time than the direct original sound. = Diagram 1 below shows the decay of reverberation overtime.=E2=80=9D=20 (http://www.magicmess.co.uk/electronics/spring.php)

The amount of = reverb in a=20 space is dependent on the volume of the room but also the rate at which = sound is=20 absorbed by walls and other surfaces.

Wallace Sabine = did some pioneering research in this area and came up with a formula that = relates the quality of a room=E2=80=99s acoustic with the size of the room, and the = amount of sound absorption surfaces present.

His formula = calculates the=20 reverberation time which is defined by the time taken (in seconds) for a = sound=20 to drop by 60 decibels.

RT60 =3D = 0.161(V/Sa)

V is the volume = of the room=20 in cubic meters. This is divided by the total absorption of the room = expressed=20 in Sabines which is calculated by the sum of all the surface areas in = the room=20 multiplied by the absorption coefficients for each material.

A characteristic = dub reverb=20 sound is the spring reverb. The spring reverb works by using the = physical=20 movement of a spring to generate the reflections.

Spring = Reverb=20 Demo

Delay is another = common effect used to create space in audio recordings. Hodgson (2010 pg.124) = states=20 =E2=80=9Cthe simple delay line is the building block of all delay = processing techniques.=E2=80=9D Then continues to describe how audio signals are = fed into a delay line where the signal is split and a copy is stored for a certain = amount of time before being passed to the output after the direct signal.

All delay units = and plug-in=20 effects have 3 basic settings which are the Delay time or the amount of = time=20 between the input signal and the copy arriving at the output. The mix = setting=20 which adjusts the balance between the input signal and the delayed copy. = And the=20 feedback which controls the amount of the delayed signal which is routed = back to=20 the input. Hodgson (2010) states that recordists have created a = =E2=80=9Cstaggeringly=20 diverse array of musical techniques=E2=80=9D by adjusting the 3 = parameters listed=20 above.

A common = delay sound used in dub is the tape delay. Case (2007 pg.224) states that

=E2=80=9CBefore = the days of digital=20 audio, a common approach to creating delays was to use a spare analogue = tape=20 machine as a generator...During mixdown the machine is constantly = rolling in=20 record mode. The signal is sent from the console to the input of the = tape machine...That signal is recorded at the tape machine and milliseconds = later is played back...(the tape machine) remains in repro mode so the output is = what it sees at the playback head...The signal goes in gets printed onto tape = the tape makes its way from the record head to the playback head (taking time to = do so) and finally the signal is played back off tape and returned to the = console. The result is tape delay.=E2=80=9D

Analogue tape = delay also adds=20 tape saturation and tape hiss, these sounds have also become a highly = sought=20 after additional qualities of tape delay. Many hardware and software = emulators=20 try to recreate these qualities of tape delay and one such emulator used = significantly in the production of dub is the Roland RE 201 Space Echo = which=20 uses a magnetic tape loop to simulate tape delay.

Roland RE 201 Space=20 Echo

Another aspect of = the use of=20 space is creative sound staging. Moylan (2008) states "The sound stage = is the=20 singular area occupied by all of the sound sources of the music, as an = aggregate=20 or group. It has an apparent physical size of width and depth that = are=20 defined at the level of the individual sound source: (1) the dimension = of width=20 is defined by the furthest right and left sound (lateral localization) = and (2)=20 the dimension of depth is defined by the most distant sound source and = the=20 closest sound source."

Zagorski-Thomas = (2010) takes=20 this idea of the sound stage further to functional staging = =E2=80=9CFunctional staging=20 is a concept building on the idea of phonographic staging developed by = William=20 Moylan and Serge Lacasse and related to Allan Moore=E2=80=99s = =E2=80=98sound-box=E2=80=99. The staging=20 of sounds in the record production process is considered to be = functional if the=20 reason for their particular placement or treatment is related to the=20 practicalities of audience reception rather than to aesthetics.=E2=80=9D = (Zagorski-Thomas 2010 pg.1)

=E2=80=9CFunctional staging relates to the = size of the perceived space and the perception of distance rather than lateral=20 placement.=E2=80=9D = (Zagorski-Thomas 2010=20 pg.6)

=20 References=20 and Bibliography

Case. A. (2007) Sound FX: Unlocking The = Creative=20 Potential Of Recording Studio Effects

Hodgson. J. (2010) Understanding=20 Records: A Field Guide to Recording Practice. Continuum International=20 Publishing, New York.

Izhaki. R. (2012) Mixing Audio: Concepts = Practices and Tools. 2nd Edition. Focal Press

www.magicmess.co.uk/electronics/spring.php (Accessed 27/10/12)

Moylan. W. (2008) Considering Space in Music. = (Accessed 21/09/12) = http://www.artofrecordproduction.com/content/view/180/109/

Zagorski-Thomas. S. (2010). The stadium in your = bedroom: functional staging, authenticity and the audience led aesthetic in = record production. Popular Music, 29, pp 251-266.

=20

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Thursday, 25 July 2013

Designer=20 Dance Presentation

Friday, 24 May 2013

The=20 Use Of Space In Dub, And How This Has Influenced Modern Electronic = Music.=20 Presentation

Dub/Techno=20 Influenced Ableton Tutorials

An=20 Investigation Into The Early Work of Dub Pioneer King Tubby, His Use of = Spatial=20 Effects, The Creation of Audiotopias and The Resulting Impact on Modern=20 Electronic Dance Music

Dub=20 Influences in EDM

Monday, 7 January 2013

From=20 'My Blue Heaven' to 'Race with the Devil': echo, reverb and (dis)ordered = space=20 in early popular music recording. Doyle. P. (2004)

Spatial=20 Effects and Their Uses in Dub