Red Means Recording Listening Techno
Genre: Techno, Experimental · Tempo: 128 BPM · Time signature: 4/4 · Length: 16 steps · Style: Jeremy Blake's Cowl project and its 'listening techno' approach (Stewart Walker-inspired): rhythm as a deterministic four-on-the-floor core with generative, never-quite-repeating percussion layered over it
Open this pattern in the interactive Patchpad (with playback)
The pattern
| Instrument | Steps (1 = start of the bar) | Velocity | Timing and chance |
|---|
| kick | 1, 5, 9, 13 | 100 | on the grid, always plays |
| hat-closed | 3, 7, 11, 15 | 44-48 | step 3: plays 90% of the time; step 7: plays 90% of the time; step 11: plays 90% of the time; step 15: plays 90% of the time |
| perc2 | 4, 12 | 32-34 | step 4: late by about 8% of a step, plays 35% of the time; step 12: late by about 8% of a step, plays 35% of the time |
| perc1 | 6, 10, 14 | 36-40 | step 6: early by about 8% of a step, plays 45% of the time; step 10: early by about 8% of a step, plays 45% of the time; step 14: early by about 8% of a step, plays 45% of the time |
| rim | 9 | 55 | step 9: plays 60% of the time |
| hat-open | 16 | 50 | step 16: plays 70% of the time |
Digitakt II
Tracks
- T1: kick
- T2: rim
- T3: hat-closed
- T4: hat-open
- T5: perc1
- T6: perc2
Settings
- Kick (T1, steps 1/5/9/13): PROB fixed at 100% and micro-timing fixed at 0 on all four hits - the pattern's one deliberately deterministic, unvarying element, standing in for the 'deterministic' half of the generative/deterministic pairing
- Perc1 (T5, steps 6/10/14): PROB set to 45% and micro-timing at -2 on every occurrence, so this layer only sometimes fires and never lands exactly on the grid - the generative half of the same pairing
- Perc2 (T6, steps 4/12): PROB set to 35% with micro-timing +2, a second, sparser generative layer so the percussion bed never repeats identically bar to bar
- Hat-closed (T3): AMP page DEC kept short (~18) and VOL p-locked with small variations step to step (45/48/46/44) so the pulse reads as alive rather than static, restrained rather than driving, matching the 'listening techno' brief of not being peak-time
- Rim (T2, step 9): PROB 60% so it doesn't fire every loop - an occasional accent rather than a fixed backbeat, keeping the pattern's energy deliberately held back
Digitone II
Tracks
- T1: kick (ALGO 4, low RATIO C)
- T2: rim (ALGO 8, short inharmonic hit)
- T3: hat-closed (high-FDBK FM noise)
- T4: hat-open (high-FDBK FM noise, long ring)
- T5: perc1 (ALGO 5, mid bell)
- T6: perc2 (ALGO 8, higher inharmonic click)
Settings
- Kick (T1, steps 1/5/9/13): SYN page 1 ALGO 4, RATIO C 0.50; PROB fixed at 100%, micro-timing fixed at 0 on all four - deliberately the one unvarying, deterministic element in the pattern
- Perc1 (T5, steps 6/10/14): SYN page 1 ALGO 5, RATIO A 5.00; PROB 45% with micro-timing -2 on every occurrence, so it never plays on-grid or every loop
- Perc2 (T6, steps 4/12): SYN page 1 ALGO 8, RATIO A 7.00 (higher, clickier); PROB 35% with micro-timing +2, a second sparser generative layer
- Hat-closed (T3): base sound SYN page 1 FDBK 85, AMP page DEC 18; AMP page VOL p-locked with small variations step to step (45/48/46/44) so it reads as alive rather than static
- Rim (T2, step 9): SYN page 1 ALGO 8, RATIO A 3.00, FDBK 30, AMP page DEC 12 for a short, dry click; PROB 60% so it's an occasional accent, not a fixed hit
Syntakt
Tracks
- T9: kick (BD CLASSIC)
- T10: rim (RS CLASSIC)
- T11: perc1 (SY DUAL VCO)
- T12: hat-closed / hat-open (CH CLASSIC / OH CLASSIC, shared voice)
- T1: perc2 (SY CHIP, higher click)
Settings
- Kick (T9, BD CLASSIC, steps 1/5/9/13): TUNE and DEC set for a solid, unremarkable four-on-the-floor thump; PROB fixed at 100%, micro-timing fixed at 0 on all four hits - the pattern's deterministic anchor
- Perc1 (T11, SY DUAL VCO, steps 6/10/14): tuned to a mid, slightly inharmonic interval; PROB 45% with micro-timing -2 on every occurrence
- Perc2 (T1, SY CHIP, steps 4/12): a higher digital click tone; PROB 35% with micro-timing +2, a second sparser generative layer
- Hat-closed (T12, CH CLASSIC): DEC kept short (~18); AMP-equivalent volume p-locked with small variations step to step (45/48/46/44) rather than a fixed value
- Rim (T10, RS CLASSIC, step 9): PROB 60% so it fires as an occasional accent rather than every loop, keeping the pattern's energy restrained
Notes
A steady, unvarying four-on-the-floor kick (the deterministic element) under a bed of sparse, probability-driven percussion that never repeats identically bar to bar (the generative element) - built in the spirit of Jeremy Blake's (Red Means Recording) Cowl project, whose 'Cast in Amber' liner notes describe exactly this human/machine, generative/deterministic combination and a 'listening techno' restraint rather than a peak-time driving feel. An original pattern in the spirit of that stated approach, not a transcription of any specific track.
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