#234
Vorlis - VALIS
Monday 11th January 2016
They Say: “VALIS was recorded at Ram Alley in Belfast, it was tracked in stereo and performed live to tape using the Machinedrum & Analog Four. Like all my other Vorlis tracks VALIS started out with the sound design, layering up found sounds and acoustic percussion samples with the Machinedrum’s internal synth engine to create the percussion and bass you hear on the record. The swelling pads, rapid lead synth and noise parts were handled by the Analog Four. When the palate of sounds are ready I create a basic 1-2 bar pattern on the machines then perform a rough arrangement with mutes, filters, amp envelopes and pattern shifting before recording. When I feel I’m close to an arrangement I press record on the Tascam reel to reel, jam it out, and that’s the track.
The idea was to create a violent and relentless piece, full of tension. The title VALIS [Vast Active Living Intelligence System], suggested by my good pal Feargal, is a nice fit for the mood of the track and I want to say thanks for the input. As for the musical influences for the piece, I made a point not to listen to any techno on the run up to recording, trying to exclude any external influences from within the genre, but I was listening to a fair bit of Amen Dunes. Their album 'Through Donkey Jaw' [Sacred Bones Records] just calms me, to a point where time becomes irrelevant. The layers wash over you on that record, it puts me in a good place, I love it. 'Hail to the Thief' was another album getting some play at the time. Seeing Thom perform ’The Gloaming’ with the Machinedrum was the last reason I needed to get myself one. What a tune!”
We Say: “When something is so stripped back it seems odd to talk about creativity - but it’s there in droves, hidden in the detail. Brutal and itchy, this one's designed for sweaty underground dancefloors.”
VALIS is out now via Sequel One Records and a video to accompany the track is set for release later this month.
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