Ekkoflok – Flok… fl*k.. f¤*k.. ^¤*\

1. Favourite knob/fader/switch on a piece of gear and why?

NP-Elektroakustik faders

I generally have a thing for long faders on old analog gear, my favorites being a large Neumann stereo fader and the faders on old NP-Elektroakustik gear (used by Danish Broadcasting)… It’s just so satisfying to move (and even just to look at) them.

Neumann stereo faders

However I must admit that these faders do not really get much use at the moment because I have to “solder them up” – I guess this is the curse of DIY’ing stuff… It’s easy to end up with the soldering iron as your main instrument and a pile of unused electronic junk… But it can also lead you to explore new and surprising sounds and techniques.

NP-Elektroakustik analog mixer

For a more “fun” choice I’d choose the “gear lever” found on a lot of old Scandinavian reel to reel tape recorders. These old machines are largely mechanic and so the transport mechanism is all handled mechanically. I find it oddly satisfying to operate these levers controlling the mechanics

Scandinavian reel to reel tape recorders

For a purely synth-oriented (or functional) viewpoint I’d probably choose the rate knob on the Serge Smooth and Stepped Function Generator (SSG) (when used as a sample and hold) – it is possible to go in and out of perodic and (seemingly) nonperiodic patterns just by fine tuning the knob. This is a way of generating “melodic content” that I have used a lot.

2. Do you have an ‘almost’ perfect bit of kit? What would you change?

Ekkoflok’s homebuilt modular

That has to be my homebuilt modular….. which is ever changing… I started building it from scratch back in 2012. At first I planned on building 40(!) modules… That was before I realized the amount of work needed, I guess.
I also found that my plans/ needs for the instrument changed all the time is I learned more about synthesis and developed my own techniques.

Today I do most of my performances on a part of my modular system. I have found that it actually helps me to not bring to much modular gear, as I find you can do a lot with just a handful of modules. Sometimes I’ve brought to much gear for a live set and felt like I only scratched the surface of the sonic possibilities. When I bring a smaller setup I force myself to think creatively and push the modular to the limit.

Close up of Ekkoflok’s homebuilt modular

3. What setup do you bring on holiday/tour/commute etc.?

I recently bought my first synth (that is – the first one I didn’t build myself) – a Korg Volca FM. It’s so small that can easily fit in even a small bag pack.
I’ve often brought a minimal modular setup, a portable recorder and sometimes just my laptop. Last summer I wanted to get ”away from work” so I only brought my Sound Devices recorder, microphones and headphones. That way I didn’t end up working as if I were still at home (and at the same time it made me long to get home to all the patch cables).

Ekkoflok sampling the sea

4. What software do you wish was hardware and vice versa?

Cecilia5 – a great tool for sound exploration. I would love to have that in a dedicated box or maybe as an app.

VCV-rack aka. the Gateway drug

With the rise of VCV-rack I think it kind of fulfilled a lot of desire for virtual versions of my modular. Still would love to see a software version of the Neutron Sound Orgone Accumulator along with more esoteric synths like Serge and Buchla. However I still think the physicality is one of my hardware modular’s main strengths. I feel that a few modules can take me a long way.

5. Is there anything you regret selling… or regret buying?

I have a couple of boxes filled with half- (or less) populated PCBs (printed circuit boards). Thinking of all those half finished projects makes me a bit sad.
I sold two (broken) 4-track recorders during corona…. Still sometimes asking myself whether I should have tried harder to fix them, since they were sold very quickly. However I still have two functioning ones… How many 4-tracks do one need??

Tascam 424 mkii

6. What gear has inspired you to produce the most music?

That must be my homebuilt modular synth. Since 2012 when I devoted myself to that project it has been the pivotal point of my career. It has taught me so much about music and sound. However I rarely approach it with a ”now I’m gonna make a track”, it’s more of an explorative process that often leads me to discover new sounds or form the basis of a new track idea.
My album Lydlandskaber (2017) was made entirely with one-takes and the modular as the center piece, whereas my new album Mosaik is made out of many layers of modular sounds, field recordings, prepared instruments and vocal work.
Actually it took me a long time to figure out how to use the thousands of recordings on my hard drive.
In more recent year I have begun to work more and more with tape, which I also find very inspiring. It feels like it gives me a lot without me doing anything, it sort of has it’s own life. In the digital domain I often find myself wanting to colour things up a bit or a lack of character.

7. If you had to start over, what would you get first?

Well, when I started making music in the 00’s I was using plugins exclusively the first years – it made me dream (and drool) of a synthesizer wall… And back then hardware synthesizers (and especially modular gear) wasn’t very accessible. Since I grew up in a family of artists there wasn’t a lot of money, but lot’s of creativity so it seemed obvious to me that I should build my own synthesizer.

Today there are a LOT of options when it comes to analog synths… So maybe I’d just buy something. However I think it is important to take your time and dedicate yourself to your instrument which might be harder to do if you are constantly hunting for the ”next big thing”. I think a good place to start would be something like a Minibrute, which has all the essentials and then build (or buy) a rack of things to expand on the functionality. And then a 4-track and some tape-loops. I think it is important to try what it feels like to make music without a computer, personally it resulted in me creating an entirely different style of music and it helped me realize how I wanted to use the computer creatively.

PD in dark mode

For example I like working with Pure Data which is kind of modular-modular synthesizer in the sense that it is easy to create your own modules in contrast to VCV-rack which is rather an emulation of a hardware modular. Since I’ve spent so much time with modulars it feels very natural to think in terms of modules and patch cables. I also use Ardour for tracking and mixing but I prefer creating music without being tied to a daw and then use the DAW later in the process for refining and over dubbing.

8. What’s the most annoying piece of gear you have, that you just can’t live without?

Sound Devices MixPre 6

Probably used to be my Zoom H4n which has been upgraded to a Sound Devices MixPre6 – although I love many aspects of it, there are a few annoying things – for example it is so power hungry that I have to use a usb power bank which makes it a bit clumsy.

9. Most surprising tip/trick/technique that you’ve discovered about a bit of kit?

The Serge Dual Universal Slope Generator can double as a clock divider. The Serge DUSG is probably my all time favorite module, it can do so many things, sort of a chameleon module that you can (patch-) program to do (almost) anything. The Make Noise Maths is inspired by this module and is quite similar.

Serge Dual Universal Slope Generator

But back to the question – what I like to do is to have a master clock sending pulses to both sections of the DUSG (used as envelope) using the outputs to control a vca or vcf and then modulating the decay time of the to DUSGs. This can result in some very complex and ever changing rhythms because the envelope doesn’t start over until the cycle is completed. Another favorite of mine is to use the outputs of the DUSG to “ping” resonant filters. That way you can make a percussive sound without needing a dedicated oscillator and vca.


Artist or Band name?

Ekkoflok

Genre?

Experimental/ ambient/ drone/ avant-garde

Selfie?

Valdemar Kristensen- aka. EkkoFlok

Where are you from?

I’m born in Næstved but my father lived in Vesterbro, Copenhagen so I guess I have experienced both the boring suburban life and the (at that time) rough atmosphere of Vesterbro with junkies and sex workers on every corner.

How did you get into music?

I think I was around 12 years old when I opened Cubase (sx3) the first time. I was playing drums at the time (and a bit of guitar). I think I heard about Cubase in some TV-show (Boogielisten???) and then I “borrowed” a copy of it. I clearly remember how overwhelmed I was by the complexity of the software, but at the same time fascinated by all the possibilities. At the time I was playing in a band (and very enthusiastic about it) and I thought the other band members were not dedicated enough. So it was a joyful moment, when I found out I could be my own one-man-band with the help of a computer and a DAW. While my friends where playing World of Warcraft I was jamming out in my basement room.

What still drives you to make music?

The music is free space where I can disappear into another dimension and completely forget about place and time.

How do you most often start a new track?

I probably spend the most time on “sound exploration” – looking for something new or exciting (to me). I then try to record (on my Mixpre or tape) as soon as possible.
I have a huge library of sounds from these sessions that I try to combine to form compositions.

How do you know when a track is finished?

It has to feel finished. When I had a more DAW-based workflow it was quite hard to tell when to stop; there is always something to change. Since I changed to working more with one-takes it is much easier I think, and the process feels more immediate

Show us your current studio

I often find myself creating music on the floor. I think it can be very inspiring to build up a new “mini-studio” with a limited amount of tools/ instruments.

Floor based studio
Ekkoflok’s Home Studio

Best creative advice that you’ve ever heard?

Probably “do it yourself”… I think this was a recurring theme in my childhood – that I could learn how to do things myself, be it playing the drums, drawing or building a synthesizer.

Promote your latest thing… Go ahead, throw us a link.

I released a new album Mosaik at the end of 2022. I describe it as “A sonic mosaic in sustained time”. Avalable as 12” vinyl or download at ekkoflok.bandcamp.com as well as on various streaming platforms.


[Editor: There are affiliate links to the relevant gear throughout the articles. It helps to support this blog. In fact, should you be needing some patch cables or guitar strings. Then clicking on one of the above links and buying any product that you prefer, will help the blog… doesn’t even have to be the ones in the link. Thx]


Prior Use – Andreas Bak-Reimer

1. Favourite knob/fader/switch on a piece of gear and why?

Gettin’ it on with the Roland SH-1

The power switch on the Roland SH-1. It’s an old synth, and the button has a distinct mechanical quality to it. The way it feels, the way it sounds, and the way the power LED lights up immediately – it just feels like getting it on! The SH-1 does that really swell PWM (pulse width modulation) that I enjoy immensely, and simple as it is, it invokes an atmosphere of a simpler time, with a lot of nostalgia to it.

2. Do you have an ‘almost’ perfect bit of kit? What would you change?

My Roland Juno-106 is close to perfect for it’s purpose. Countless 80’s and 80’s emulating tracks have been born using it, and it’s built in a way that grants plenty of sweetspots, and not so many dead ends. Some people prefer non-DCOs, and have plenty to say about the 106 being a budget synth, but mine’s fresh back from service, and it makes me happy.

Roland 106

I sometimes wish it had another oscillator with an easy option for detuning, to get a wider sound from it, but there is a lot to be said about limitations to foster creativity.

… Also, I am not particularly fond of the way the resonance sounds when it’s cranked way up. It’s glassy instead of being juicy – and rarely that’s a good thing. On the other hand, I don’t have any other things that sounds like that, so it’s probably best to leave that unchanged.

3. What setup do you bring on holiday/tour/commute etc.?

Roland TB-03

Laptop, almost certainly. I am no where near anything dawless, and don’t have anything that I could arrange anything with, besides a computer. If I weren’t writing, but merely playing around, I would bring my Roland TB-03, or Yamaha Reface CS – built-in speakers and battery operated, they are 1. 2. go!

Yamaha Reface

4) What software do you wish was hardware and vice versa?

Absynth, Brain, Modular.

Software -> Hardware: I think Native Instruments Absynth. I have had that since forever, and still use it heavily. Also, I would like to see the physical shape/color/layout of such a thing!

Absynth

Hardware -> Software: My brain. Although it feels soft at times, I consider it hardware. It certainly interfaces like 40+ years old hardware (poorly that is), it is sometimes difficult to control when hot or cold, and it’s almost never in tune. Also – patch memory is severely limited. If I could instantly recall patches, production tricks, channel-settings and export/bounce the tunes and sounds directly, like with a lot of software, then… Well, it might take out the fun at times.

Brain

To be serious: My modular setup would be nice as software – mainly for patch recall.

Eurorack modular

5. Is there anything you regret selling… or regret buying?

I never sold anything ever, so that doesn’t apply. And therefore I never regret selling anything either!

I once bought a portable recorder, thinking I could get a lot of good sample material that way. I only did once, but it never made it into a track I finished. I have fond memories of getting up early to catch a few big trucks on big roads going by, though… So, no regrets I guess…

Tascam Recorder

I bought an Ensoniq SQ-R module, because it features Transwave synthesis. Never used that, but it had a nice belltree sound that I used once or twice. It’s probably the thing I’ve bought that comes the most close to being a regret.

6. What gear has inspired you to produce the most music?

My trusty iPod classic 80 GB. That’s a lot of late 90’s goatrance… Listening to that is what inspired me most over the years. It had a growing line of dead pixels over the course of a year, and when the line was fully dead, the pixels started working again from the beginning of the line! A year after, the whole display was good again. That is probably my strangest experience with any electronic gadget ever.

iPod classic

If I should channel this to some sort of an inspirational tale, it would something like how the small and weak Hobbits defeated the mighty Sauron – it might appear to be failing, and an unlikely source of victory, but give it some time, and it will surprise you.

That is also why I have never sold anything. You never know.

7. If you had to start over, what would you get first?

A decent room for working in. Go all crazy thinking about getting the ‘right’ monitors, nice preamps, the perfect cables (ugh!)… But if your room is horrible, none of that matters. I have sunk a fair bit of time into acoustic treatment, and it has made a world of difference.

Foam

Also: time. So that’s it. Time and space – that’s all I want. At first…. Then a Mac.

8. What’s the most annoying piece of gear you have, that you just can’t live without?

Laptop

Mac laptop

Again, my computer. Ill timed software updates, one too few CPU cycles in stacked projects, failing disks… The woes are many, but I wouldn’t have written a bar of music without it.

9. Most surprising tip/trick/technique that you’ve discovered about a bit of kit?

Roland JV-2080

About 20 years after I got my Roland JV-2080, I realized it was capable of faux PWM. If I set a regular sawtooth wave on one osc, and an inverted sawtooth on the other, and modulate pitch slowly and independently, then it happens. I wish I had known that 20 years earlier, but that would probably mean I wouldn’t have bought my SH-1 (with the fab power button) – so it’s all good!


Artist or Band name?

I have mainly been producing under the moniker “Amygdala”. Goa and psychedelic trance in the old (old!) sense of the word.

Lately, I have been making some drops in the already over saturated ocean of synthwave music. I enjoy that very much, and as a child of the 80s, it takes me back to a simpler time – worries forgotten. The moniker for this activity is “Prior Use”.

Genre?

Many kinds of trance music: Goa, psychedelic, melodic, uplifiting, minimal, tech-, progressive.
Besides that, a bit of synthwave, and the odd “psy-bient” piece.

Selfie?

Andreas Brain

Where are you from?

I am from Denmark – just a tad north of Copenhagen, but most of my music has been produced in Århus. You can really tell what a big difference those 170 km makes!

How did you get into music?

My parents and brother. Music was omnipresent at home when I grew up. My parents encouraged me to take up playing violin when I was 6, and I have had some great experiences with that. When music production became reasonably available to the regular consumer with computer interest, I was hooooked! At first, it was just another thing I could do with the computer, but rather quickly it was pretty much all I ever did with it.

What still drives you to make music?

The two biggest drivers are probably the “flows” and “highs”.

Flow when I can be completely engrossed in production, enjoying the situation, and getting something done which I like and feel as an accomplishment. Time flying as I ignore my body’s attempts to drag me to the loo, trough or bed.

Highs when I hit something that (in the moment) is spectacular – a catchy tune, a sweet timbre, or a really dope fill or transition. It can still make me laugh after all these years, and the surge of energy and motivation I get from that is unparalleled.

How do you most often start a new track?

Sometimes I start with a very simple idea like a tune, a chord progression or a synthesizer patch concept. Then Drums. Then bass. That’s the most usual case, although sometimes I skip directly to the drums. Lately, I have been thinking that it’s not the best way to go, as I am finishing fewer and fewer tracks. I often end up with a pretty decent groove, but lacking the centerpiece idea that makes the track stand out. I polish the rhythmic section and transitions, until there is not space left in the spectrum (frequency and/or mental) for anything else.

So, from now on, I am trying to start off a new track with an idea, and then build drums and bass around that. We’ll see how that goes.

How do you know when a track is finished?

When a track has all the arrangement elements (intro, good stuff, breakdown, great stuff, climax, outro – or some other configuration), I bounce it and listen away from the studio. I make a lot of notes I want to change, enhance, remove, whatever. When that list feels complete, I do those changes. Hopefully I am happy with the result, because at that point I am usually fed up with the piece. I am not one for endlessly tweaking everything, and I have a tendency to detail focus early – which means I “decide” that this bit is perfect, and then unconsciously prohibit myself from editing it (too much 🙈).

I know there is some degree of contradiction in the above, but I’ll just hide behind “you can’t argue art”.

Show us your current studio

Andreas Studio
Andreas synths

Best creative advice that you’ve ever heard?

I bought a CD from Eat Static sideproject Dendron (Merv Pepler). I think he burned the disc himself and mailed it. Included in the package was a makeshift invoice with the words “always experiment” on it. I think that’s pretty good advice. It’s hard, because as time grows scarce I tend to stick to the beaten path, but even though it feels like it’s safer and more productive that way, I get less enjoyment from it.

Promote your latest thing… Go ahead, throw us a link.

As mentioned above, I dabble in synthwave. Swing by https://soundcloud.com/prioruse and tell you friends.

[Editor: if you want to check out Andreas psy-trance stuff it’s here: https://ektoplazm.com/profiles/amygdala]


Kevin McKinney – QueTheWash

1. Favourite knob/fader/switch on a piece of gear and why?

Cooper FX Generation Loss V1 mix knob.  Something about the oversized knob, the smoothness with which it moved, and the symmetry of the 6 knob setup with the mix knob proudly in the middle…I ended up parting ways with it to fund the V2 and i have to say, i miss that knob.

Cooper FX Generation Loss V1

2. Do you have an ‘almost’ perfect bit of kit? What would you change?

The Digitakt is so powerful and versatile, I have used it to make beats, ambient loops, and everything in between. For me, I have always wished that it had more playable keys/pads.  I am actually currently looking into pairing it with some kind of external pad controller to fully maximize it’s performance playability.

Elektron Digitakt

3. What setup do you bring on holiday/tour/commute etc.?

The OP-1. I almost put this answer for the previous question as well, because just think if it had bluetooth! That would make the already quintessential travel companion undeniably perfect.

Teenage Engineering OP-1

4. What software do you wish was hardware and vice versa?

I run my studio completely DAWless via the Squarp pyramid, so I don’t have much experience with software synths beyond some of the ones I play with on the iPad. There was this one I remember playing with, ‘Poseidon Synth’, that had a function where it would just randomize all the settings and leave you with something ridiculous. I think that would be fun on a piece of hardware, like say, my DSI Rev2 😛

Poseidon Synth

5. Is there anything you regret selling… or regret buying?

I regret selling my Tascam Portastudio 424 Mk1. I ended up making a pretty penny on it thanks to the recent boom in cassette music being made, but I definitely miss it. I have other cassette recorders, but that one was something special.

Tascam Portastudio 424 Mk1

6. What gear has inspired you to produce the most music?

I compose everything at the piano and then move it to the saxophone, or my electronic gear, or wherever I envisioned it. So, while it might not technically be ‘gear’, it was my first instrument, and everything I do, both electronically and acoustically, stems from the piano.

[Editor: I’d definitely say it is gear 🙂 ]

Kawai Piano

7. If you had to start over, what would you get first?

If I had to start over I would probably buy a really nice audio interface first. I currently run everything into my studio through an Allen & Heath qu-16c, which acts as both mixer and audio interface for me. I have always wondered what things would sound like and how my workflow would change if I was working with an interface from Universal Audio or something comparable.

UAD Apollo

8. What’s the most annoying piece of gear you have, that you just can’t live without

Probably the Keeley compressor on my sax board. I couldn’t live without it because some of the patches I have are really hot and require the use of both a programmable EQ pedal and this compressor/limiter pedal to tame. It’s only annoying because it is not programmable like the EQ, and every time i get my board out of the case I have to readjust the knobs to where I need them.

Keeley compressor

9. Most surprising tip/trick/technique that you’ve discovered about a bit of kit?

A lot of people complain about the OP-1 internal engines sounding extremely digital, tinny, and somewhat like a set of children’s toys. I achieve full, warm sounds on the OP-1 pretty easily with the use of the Elektron Analog Drive at the end of the effects chain. Even just the clean boost setting with a bit of tweaking on the highs and a bit of drive goes a long way and adds a great depth of sound.

Elektron Analog Drive

Artist or Band name?

My name is Kevin McKinney. I play saxophone/effects for the stinky garage jazz band, ‘Doctor Pizza’ in Detroit, Michigan.

Doctor Pizza Stickers
Doctor Pizza Band

Genre?

I am an improviser and saxophonist, although I do a lot of ambient/soundscape work with my electronic instruments.

Selfie?

Kevin McKinney

Where are you from?

I am originally from Cleveland, Ohio.

Cleveland Ohio

How did you get into music?

I got into music as a toddler. I had a little toy piano that I carried around with me and played all the time. My parents noticed this and started piano lessons for me when I was 4 years old. I was hooked for life.

Toy Piano

What still drives you to make music?

I am a new father of boy/girl twin babies, so I have a lot of trouble finding time to make music lately. What drives me to make music, when I do have the time is definitely the way it makes me feel, and the way it can make others feel when they experience it. The rush of holding an altissimo note while the crowd screams..or, contrastingly, the calmness of playing piano alone in your studio with all the lights down… those moments are what make music making so special.

Twin Babies… seeing something hilarious

How do you most often start a new track?

I have lot of gear, so sometimes it can be a case of too many options. I like to pick one piece of gear that will be the focus for that session and then build everything around that. Sometimes I will just pick a single pedal, or a synth, or a set of drum samples…anything that can be a launching point.

Novation Bass Station

How do you know when a track is finished?

With my band and often with my own music, songs are an ever-evolving thing…I will bring in a loose idea, or a lead sheet with some basics and then we shape the rest together during rehearsal.  A lot of times solo sections, the general form of the tune, and even sometimes the melodic information are all up for discussion and debate while we are working through the new idea.  I may go back to things I created years ago and change them if I am having trouble coming up with something new.

Kevin’s band at rehearsal

Show us your current studio

Kevin McKinney’s Studio

Best creative advice that you’ve ever heard?

I forget who told me this, maybe Dave Liebman?… Anyhow, I remember being in a masterclass and being told that you don’t truly know a song, a melody, a transcribed solo, or whatever it may be until you can SING it. The human voice is the most fundamental and primal of instruments and having that connection to your voice before picking up any instrument and attempting to play something is crucial. As an improviser, I try to employ this same thinking… only let out of your horn what you hear in your head as being complementary to the music that is happening around you.

Kevin singing with sax-iness

Promote your latest thing… Go ahead, throw us a link.

Check out my band Doctor Pizza! We are recording our latest album in mid July and hope to have it out later this year. We are on YouTube, Spotify and all major platforms.
www.doctorpizzaband.com

Doctor Pizza Band