BOARDS OF CANADA - Sundown (Synth Cover - Sequential Prophet REV2)

video upload by nicola neeco

"This is my cover of Sundown by Boards of Canada, from Tomorrow’s Harvest (Warp Records, 2013).

This piece has always felt deeply emotional to me. Before studying it, I assumed it would be quite complex, but it turns out the core idea is surprisingly simple and elegant.
The key lies in the tuning of the oscillators: setting them in a perfect fifth interval (for example, Osc 1: C, Osc 2: G) creates that characteristic BOC sound.

For the sound design, I started from a patch I originally built for Corsair. The two tracks share a similar foundation, especially in how the dual oscillators interact through that fifth interval tuning.
The patch is played on the Sequential Prophet Rev2, with (a lot of) Valhalla VintageVerb and Delay"

Spikes golden edition 15 years of errorthis is a special edition only 50 handmade in the Netherlands

video upload by errorinstruments paul tas

Spikes rain in an iPad

video upload by errorinstruments paul tas

via errorinstruments

"SPIKES GOLD. — 15 Years of Error Spikes is one of the earliest Eurorack-inspired instruments, born 15 years ago—back when the modular world was still small, led by pioneers like Doepfer and a handful of boutique makers. While many brands moved toward mainstream retail, Paul Tas of Error Instruments chose a different path: staying underground, raw, and experimental. Rooted in noise, dark techno, and avant-garde traditions inspired by Warp Records and musique concrète, Spikes remains true to its origins—focused on creativity over convention. Now, 15 years later, a new version is here. Spikes (Anniversary Edition) is a standalone analog instrument, expanded with a built-in delay FX processor that can also be used independently. It introduces a unique hybrid interaction: conductive touch, light sensor control, and hands-on manipulation come together to create unpredictable, expressive soundscapes. • Six conductive spikes allow touch-based sound shaping • Central mixing area blends signals into evolving textures • Oscillator controls (potentiometers) generate and manipulate tone • Dual middle controls adjust delay feedback and time—from short to endless • Light sensor adds performative modulation (switchable on/off) This instrument thrives in chaos—perfect for glitchy rhythms, skipping textures, noise explorations, and cinematic sonic journeys. As a fully analog device, it requires a bit of tuning and exploration, rewarding hands-on experimentation. Available in silver and gold, this is a strictly limited edition of 50 units, all handmade in the Netherlands. Release: Superbooth 2026, Berlin Availability: One-time release only For demonstrations and deeper insight, watch the video and explore the user manual. Spikes is not just an instrument—it’s a statement."

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An Inspiring Eurorack Toolbox for Audio & CV // Workshop Computer from Music Thing

video upload by DivKid

Also see Turing Machine, Workshop System & Planet of the Apes! // Music Thing Modular at Machina Bristronica

"Seeing the Music Thing Workshop System grow and develop over recent years have been a lovely thing and it made me happy to see part of it getting broken out into a Eurorack module and for that part to be the Workshop Computer. It's an 8HP Eurorack module that works as digital toolbox for audio and CV which offers all sorts of handy low level utility things, more exciting audio and CV generation and a range of more lo fi and hi fi audio FX.

Along with the release of the module are 3 new program cards from RYK, offering pitch shifting delay, vocoding, pitch to voltage and tape style recording and looping. You also get some default Music Thing cards and there's blank cards with a huge range of simple drag and drop a file over USB options for a range of community cards you can get for free too. Check out the links below, loads of info in the timing index to skip around. Enjoy!"

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LFO/LFO (Circuit Tracks Version)

video upload by Guinan

"This week’s track is a version of the classic 1988 Warp records release ‘LFO’ by the UK Leeds band, LFO. Seen at the time as part of a genre then known as ‘bleep techno’ it was characterised by hard, uncompromising electronic minimalist industrial techno tracks such as this.

I’m hoping I’m not the only one who remembers and loves this track! If you like this try and find 'Testone/Sweet Exorcist' in a similar style - possibly one for a future cover too.

More details for synth nerds

I already had some ‘Speak & Spell’ samples I’d downloaded years ago so this was a great starting point. I had separate samples for the “L”, “F’ and “O” and I thought it would be fun to throw in one of the starting noises the toy makes when switched on. The same toy is featured on Kraftwerk’s ‘Computer World’ album so the sound will be a familiar one.

The main chord sequence comes from a Kawai K1 preset patch. Luckily there is a free fantastic software synth emulation of this keyboard available online so I was able to create a sample for the repeating chords. The emulator can be downloaded from the following page,
https://www.nilsschneider.de/wp/categ...
I’d encourage you to leave a donation for the author if you find this emulator useful.

All of these samples are sequenced alternately on the Drum 4 track.
There is a single repeating rhythm pattern using 909 samples played on Drum 1-3.
Synth 1 plays an FM-sounding bass patch, and Synth 2 is a representation of the staccato bleep sound (a small amount of pitch envelope helps recreate the original sound). Add lots of reverb and voila!"

BOARDS OF CANADA - Kaini Industries (Roland SH-01A Synth Cover)

video upload by nicola neeco

"I've been playing this synth a lot lately, so I said to myself: why not do a version of kaini industries with it? Even though I already did a version with the Prophet REV2 [below]
Which one do you prefer between the two? 😉

(I made this patch from scratch)

Gear used:
Roland SH-01A
Valhalla Vintageverb"

BOARDS OF CANADA - Kaini Industries (Prophet REV2 Synth Cover)
video upload by nicola neeco

"I re-created one of my favorite BOC tunes, from the album Music Has the Right to Children (1998, Warp Records & Skam records)

gear used:
Sequential Prophet REV2 (8-voice version)
Valhalla VintageVerb
u-he Satin tape machine plugin"

BOARDS OF CANADA - Beware the Friendly Stranger (Prophet REV2 Cover)

video upload by nicola neeco

"I love BOC’s short tracks & interludes: they’re little gems, always full of details just like the complete tracks.

I made this cover slower than the original and without the crackling background noise so you can fully appreciate this beautiful melody.

This track is also featured in Salad Fingers, the British animated web series created by ‪@davidfirth‬ in 2004 (a series with a very good foley and sound design, in my opinion)

(I made this patch from scratch)

gear used:
Sequential Prophet REV2 (8 voices)

follow me on Instagram: / nicolaneeco

Beware the Friendly Stranger, from Geogaddi (Warp Records, 2002)"

APHEX TWIN - Z Twig (#17) (Prophet REV2 Synth Cover)

video upload by nicola neeco

"One of my favorites from the Selected Ambient Works vol.2 album (1994 Warp Records).
For this cover I used the Prophet onboard bbd delay, then I added some reverb (my usual Vintageberb).
The patch it's quite simple: a single oscillator, square wave.


(I made these patch from scratch)

Gear used:
Sequential Prophet REV2 (8 Voices)
Valhalla Vintageverb"

BOARDS OF CANADA - Corsair (Prophet REV2 Synth Cover)

video upload by nicola neeco

"Here' s my version of this wonderful track by Boards of Canada from Geogaddi (2002, Warp Records)
The Prophet is in split mode with two almost identical patches, to match the original I applied some eq.

(I made these patch from scratch)

Gear used:
Sequential Prophet REV2
FabFilter ProQ3
U-he Satin Tape Plugin
Valhalla Vintageverb"

Boards of Canada - Sixtyniner (Prophet REV2 Synth Cover)

video upload by nicola neeco

"This is my version of this little gem from BOC's Twoism (1995, Warp Records)

(I made these patch from scratch)

Gear used:

Sequential Prophet REV2 (8 voices)
Valhalla Vintageverb plugin"

United Plugins Introduces JMG Sound Retronaut - LoFi Nostalgia Machine Multi-effect Plug-in

video upload by United Plugins

Press release follows:

United Plugins puts past into present with JMG Sound Retronaut, realised as LoFi Nostalgia Machine multi-effect plug-in

“I hate to overuse superlatives, but, it has to be said, within a minute of trying out the amazing features of the Retronaut plug-in, I was astounded. Its versatility will work across all manner of instruments, from guitars to drums; I even tried some of the effects on a piano piece, and the results were extraordinary. This is going to be a great asset for film and media compositions, as well as my commercial recordings.”

- Chris Payne, orchestral composer for film and television/synthpop pioneer (co-writer of Visage's 1981 hit single ‘Fade to Grey’/former Gary Numan backing band member), 2023

PRAGUE, CZECH REPUBLIC: independent development teams federation United Plugins is proud to announce availability of Retronaut from founding partner JMG Sound — swinging back into action and putting the (analogue) past into the (DAW-driven) present as a so-called LoFi Nostalgia Machine multi-effect plug-in, perfectly capturing the vibe of old analogue gear by mixing bucket brigade chips, cassette tapes, VCFs (Voltage-Controlled Filters), vintage choruses, vinyl records, and more to transport its users back in time to explore their magical (musical) memories — as of February 15...

Explore the past
History has it that mankind has not only travelled the world and the ‘Seven Seas’ but beyond that to take one giant leap to touch down on the Moon, meaning the sky is not the limit. Steps still need to be taken to literally leave future footprints further away from the natural satellite of Earth, yet reality reasons that humanity cannot physically step back in time to explore the past in person, however, rather relying on history to tell its story. Saying that, Retronaut, JMG Sound’s so-called LoFi Nostalgia Machine, musically transports those interested in exploring their magical (musical) memories from where they originated; after all, music has a miraculous ability to transport anyone back in time. Therefore, seatbelts should be securely fastened in readiness for an ‘analogue’ expedition through history!

LoFi Nostalgia Machine
Make sure, then, that those seatbelts are securely fastened, for an ‘analogue’ expedition through history awaits as Retronaut is assuredly announced as a multi-voice vibrato and chorus plug-in, pulsating with lo-fi effects. Indeed, it is inspired by old analogue gear with which wisened ears welcoming warmth will already be familiar — think bucket brigade chips, cassette tapes, VCFs, vintage choruses, and vinyl records... Retronaut revisits that nostalgic musical magic of the past, putting it into the (DAW-driven) present with multiple ways to age and DEGRADE the signal being processed, thanks to controls for FLUTTER (adds random fluctuations to the modulation shape, simulating tape flutter); DUST (adds noise to the modulation shape); FAIL (adds random glitches of pitch and level drops to simulate old failing gear); WARP (adds pitch drift and a little tremolo at half-rate to all the VOICES globally); DIRT (controls the amount of tape-style saturation); FEED (controls the amount of cross-feedback by taking the outputs of the VOICES and feeding them into each other); and MONO (switches the signal to mono, simulating old gear with only one speaker, such as radios).

DIVERGE, MOD, MIX, and more
Meanwhile, it is possible to offset the multi-voice engine — enabling users to MIX from a single vibrato voice up to 4 VOICES, resulting in a rich chorus — in various ways to create organic and evolving movements via the DIVERGE section: SPREAD (offsets the LFO phase in the left and right channels); LAG (introduces a time delay for each voice); PHASE (offsets the LFO phase for each voice); V2 SCALE (offsets the voice 2 modulation rate from the main modulation rate); V3 SCALE (offsets the voice 3 modulation rate from the main modulation rate); V4 SCALE (offsets the voice 4 modulation rate from the main modulation rate); and RESYNC (resets the LFO phases). But beating at the musical heart of Retronaut is its MOD (modulation) section with HP MOD (controls the modulation depth of the virtual analogue high-pass filter in both positive and negative polarity) and LP MOD (controls the modulation depth of the virtual analogue low-pass filter in both positive and negative polarity); dialling down the modulation depth for the vibrato effect with the associated VIBE control and then using other effects encourages that warm, woolly, and compressed tape sound. Shape the tone with the VCF section — anchored around those virtual analogue high-pass and low-pass filters, switchable between 2 (12dB per octave) and 4 (24dB per octave) POLE slopes, with RESO (resonance) control — and MIX to perfection. Possibilities are endless, almost: add lo-fi to drums, rich chorus to synths, and lush reverb to anything... ask orchestral composer for film and television/synthpop pioneer Chris Payne (Visage, Gary Numan), who was well versed in working with original analogue gear — of the kind that inspired Retronaut — on a number of historic hit records. “I particularly love the DEGRADE section, which can add a huge amount of expression to any sound you use,” he enthuses, ending on an equally high note: “I’ll certainly be building up a huge library of sounds using Retronaut over the coming months, and cannot wait to get started with it on my forthcoming projects.”

Key features:
Captures the vibe of old analogue gear, mixing bucket brigade chips, cassette tapes, vintage choruses, and more in one powerful multi- effect plug-in
Smoothly mix from a single vibrato voice up to four, resulting in a rich chorus
Add that nostalgic lo-fi (musical) magic with the DEGRADE section — age sound from gentle dust and warmth to old, broken gear
Control each voice independently with the DIVERGE section — offset them in various ways to create organic and evolving movements

JMG Sound’s Retronaut is available to purchase for a time-limited introductory promo price of only €24.00 EUR until March 19, 2023 — rising thereafter to its regular price of €89.00 EUR — as an AAX-, AU-, VST-, and VST3-compatible plug-in (using internal 64-bit audio processing capable of handling any sample rate) directly from its dedicated webpage (https://unitedplugins.com/Retronaut/), where a 15-day, fully-functional trial version for macOS 10.10 and newer and Windows 8/10/11 can also be downloaded for free.

Note that no iLok, dongle, or internet access is required for Retronaut activation. (All United Plugins software uses license files for activation and owners can freely use purchased software — with free-for-life updates — on all their computers, as long as they are the user.)

How Aphex Twin Spurned the 90s Dance Mainstream ("Windowlicker") | New British Canon

video upload by Trash Theory

"For most of the 90s, Aphex Twin ran counter to what was happening in mainstream dance music. He was messing with low-key ambience during the forceful Eurodance of “Rhythm is a Dancer.” Moved to harsh industrial noise as Europe was smitten by the dreamy trance of Robert Miles’ “Children.” And when Prodigy and Chemical Brothers ruled the roost, Aphex Twin was attempting to rupture drum and bass with rapid stuttered software-programmed beats.

The Aphex Twin story is similarly antagonistic, filled with fabrication, half-truths and provocation pried from the man himself. Did he own a tank, live in a bank and do a DJ set using solely sandpaper and a food mixer? Quite possibly, but picking through everything he’s said for the presence of truth is a foolish exercise. The legend is more fun than the bedroom-based music geek reality. This is New British Canon and this is the story of “Windowlicker.”

#aphextwin #electronicmusic #musicdocumentary

Fact-checking by Serenity Autumn.

00:00 Introduction
01:20 Richard D. James: How Aphex Twin Came to Be
07:11 Selected Ambient Works 85-92
12:51 The First Three Albums with Warp Records
21:13 "Come to Daddy" & "Windowlicker"
31:09 The Lasting Impact of Aphex Twin

Soundtrack
Luar - Citrine (https://soundcloud.com/luarbeats)
Jesse Gallagher - The Golden Present
Luar - Anchor (https://soundcloud.com/luarbeats)"

Why This Rare Soviet Drum Machine Still Kicks in 2022

video upload by

"When I first saw the Formanta UDM, also know as Rokton, I was intrigued - a Simmons-like drum synthesizer with cheesy preset rhythms? Add to that the typical Soviet "they make tanks here too" look and I knew I had to explore it. I was surprised by how bleepy and klonky it sounded once I turned of the preset drums. It has the energy of early Warp and Rephlex records, with a dusty and dry tone that yet goes low. The integrated rhythms became suddenly amazing, as I programmed the sounds to be different. I never heard a tango like that from a preset.

Sadly, I could not learn much about the history of this machine. There are just a few pages on it out there, so I hope this video can be start for more information. For me, I set the goal to visit all the Soviet production sites, once the world is traversable again, and find out more. Drop any info you have below, I am very curious to learn more and apologize for any factual errors I might have made."

Richard H Kirk: A tribute to his music and legacy

video upload by CatSynth TV

"We pay tribute to the pioneering electronic musician Richard H Kirk, passed away on September 21, 2021. He was a member of the group Cabaret Voltaire, whose mix of experimental electronics and dada sensibilities was very influential in the 1970s, and work in the 1980s combining electronics and pop elements influenced industrial music. Kirk continued to record and perform as a solo artist from the 1990s onward. He reformed Cabaret Voltaire as a solo project in 2009.

We send our thoughts to his family, friends, and collaborators."

Cabaret Voltaire ‎– The Dada Man

video upload by svspls

"Cabaret Voltaire ‎– 1974-76 (1980 / 1992)"

Cabaret Voltaire - Voice Of America (Celebration)

video upload by jmj321

"From the Granada arts program 'Celebration', broadcast in 1980. Unfortunately the Cabs were at the end of the program and cut short somewhat."

Featuring the EMS SYNTHI Hi-Fli

CABARET VOLTAIRE - SENSORIA

video upload by vicoland

"Classic song from the pioners of the industrial rock."

Sweet Exorcist - Testone

video upload by Galgo23

"1990 promo directed by Jarvis Cocker"

"Sweet Exorcist Testone. 1990 single charting at #85 in the UK in February 1990. Official music video 90s 90's if everything's ready here on the dark side of the moon play the five tones house techno test one. ohnoitisnathan" w/ DJ Parrot

Featuring the EMS SYNTHI VCS 3 / The Putney

Richard H. Kirk - November X-Ray Mexico

video upload by Warp Records

"'November X-Ray Mexico' appears on 'Virtual State' (WARP19) by Richard H. Kirk, his first solo album for Warp released 31st January 1994."

Human Spirit

video upload by Sandoz - Topic

Novation Teases New Aphex Twin Collaboration

Apparenlty these billboards are popping up in LA, Berlin, Bristol, and London per CDM.

Click the image to the left to zoom in and find some clues, if they apply that is.

On the left you'll see X-Station. The original X-Station was a controller keyboard with the K-Station engine built in. Note the font below it.

On the right you'll see Osc Filter Mod. Below you'll see Microtuning.

Feel free to see what else you can find.

Aphex Twin also worked with Novation on the AFX Mode Bass Station II and the Warp Records WXAXRXP 30th Anniversary Bass Station II.

Rumor is we'll find out Oct 20.

Update: and an image of the purported box spotted by Soviet Space Child.

UNCUT GEMS - Synth Melody Tutorial (Moog Mother 32)

Published on Mar 12, 2020 RemixSample

"I only tried to recreate the arpeggio melody but I think it's pretty cool sounding and stand on it's own. This Moog Mother 32 synthesizer tutorial based and inspired by 'The Blade' by Daniel Lopatin for the movie 'Uncut Gems'."

The Blade

Published on Dec 12, 2019 Daniel Lopatin - Topic

Provided to YouTube by Warp Records

The Blade · Daniel Lopatin

Uncut Gems - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack

℗ Warp Records

Released on: 2019-12-13

Producer: Daniel Lopatin

Warp Records WXAXRXP 30th Anniversary Novation Bass Station II

via Novation

"Warp Records celebrate their 30th anniversary with three-day NTS Radio takeover, including exclusive mixes and giveaways.

For the past 30 years, UK based label Warp Records have been consistently setting the bar in the electronic music world, always pushing the boundaries of the genre and thrilling music fans worldwide.

Founded by Steve Beckett and Rob Mitchell in the back of a record store in Sheffield in 1989, Warp has become the pioneer of its genre with a unique yet reliable catalogue of electronic music. Responsible for bringing to the world the likes of Aphex Twin, Boards of Canada, Squarepusher and Nightmares on Wax, plus loads more, Warp have also more recently ventured into film, art installations and their own online independent record store, Bleep.com.

This weekend, Warp are set to celebrate their 30th anniversary. Partnering with NTS, they’ll bring together their legendary roster with a packed out 100-hour schedule of music, including exclusive mixes, tributes and giveaways.

As part of the celebrations and in honour of the release of our recent Bass Station AFX update, listeners will have the chance to get their hands on a very limited edition Warp Records x Aphex Twin x Novation Bass Station II, 1 of only 5 made. For a chance to win, simply sign up for the WXAXRXP mailing list following the link below [bottom of page here].

LISTEN NOW

We’ve also compiled a selection of our favourite Warp releases spanning the past thirty years. With so many releases, we could have kept this list going on for ages, but here are ten particular highlights from the past three decades chosen by some of the team over at Novation HQ:

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Korg Volca Drum Demo "73 Yips" Aphex Twin cover

Published on Jun 9, 2019 Mattelica

"Aphex Twin's '73 Yips' on the Korg Volca Drum to a Roland VS880 HDR to a Canon 6D + 50mm 1.4 lens."

And the original:


Published on Mar 27, 2019 Aphex Twin

"Provided to YouTube by Warp Records

73-Yips · Aphex Twin

On

℗ Warp Records

Released on: 1993-11-15

Auto-generated by YouTube."

Sort​\​Lave - New Release by Richard Devine

On BandCamp and on Spotify

The release is also available on CD and Limited Edition 3LP.

"After a break of 6 years, Atlanta based electronic musician, producer and sound designer Richard Devine returns with a new album ‘Sort\Lave’ on Venetian Snares‘ Timesig imprint. Recorded between 2016 and 2017 using Richard’s custom built Eurorack modular system and two Nord G2 Modular units, Sort\Lave features 12 tracks of intricate electronica that ranges from abrasive percussive experiments such as ‘Revsic‘ to ‘Astra’s dazzling juxtaposition of sounds and onto the radiant ambience of the album’s closer ‘Takara‘.

Talking about the album’s genesis Devine explains “I’ve been using modular synthesizers since I was 17, but have never written complete tracks using these newer systems. This was my first experiment to see if it would be possible and I probably spent about 5 years building up the systems that I used on this album.”

“I wanted the record to sound very different to my previous works which had been more cold, digital, clinical even, and had all been made using computers. The aim here was the complete opposite, to create something that felt very organic, detailed, spacious, big and warm and just as importantly, a record that you could put on and play all the way through that flowed in a seamless way.”

This new approach was to prove fruitful and enabled Devine to create music in an entirely new way. “I really wanted to break free from timeline-based music creation and do things with my hands on the fly,” he explains. “So the tracks are more like captured snapshot performances where I could experiment and play around with the idea of probability-based sequencing for every patch, string multiple sequencers together that would feed other sequencers to come up with interesting rhythms and melodies. It was really fun coming up with new sounds this way too, I felt like I created several I haven't heard before with this album. Some of the tracks on the album were complete accidents and evolved from something that happened spontaneously. In the end I feel this is one of the best records I have released to date, so I’m very excited to share it with the world.”

Making his debut in 1995, Devine’s releases for labels including Schematic, Warp Records and Detroit Underground have established him as one of the leading figures within the electronica community. In addition to his musical productions, Devine has enjoyed a lengthy and successful career in sound design, developing patches for many of the world’s leading music technology businesses and working with companies such as Google and Nike.

released November 2, 2018"

Malekko Heavy Industry - Manther *Squarepusher / Warp Records Vibes*

Published on Jul 5, 2018 DivKidVideo

"You asked and I delivered ... I just can't remember who asked! :) ... I had a comment about the Manther from Malekko Heavy Industry asking about how it would sound with some Squarepusher and Warp Records "vibes". Specifically relating to the nice Roland SH-101 liquid melodic line that's drenched in reverb in 'Theme From Ernest Borgnine' from Squarepusher. So here's that melody. I changed a note or two at the end to hopefully avoid the potential take down but you can hear it does that resonant liquid filter style sound you hear in that track and others from Warp and that era/genre. The reverb is the Halls of Valhalla card in the TipTop Audio Z-DSP, which is also lovely."

Malekko Manther DivKidVideo

Carbon Electra Expansion Pack: Emissions

via supporting MATRIXSYNTH Member, Adam Pietruszko of knobz.net).

You'll find the expansion pack at http://www.pluginboutique.com.

"The 'Emissions' expansion for Carbon Electra has been designed with warm sounds influenced from the natural world. The collection will suit all producers looking to add depth and mysticism to their work.

Containing 64 presets focusing on lush keys, rich bass timbres, smooth pads, beautiful leads and hypnotic sequences. Layering and fusing with processed beats will ensure emotive textural productions, reminiscent of Warp Records.

Utilising Carbon's built in sequencer, this pack lets you access complex sequences and bass rhythms at a single keystroke. Build harmonic layers with delicate keys and full bodied pads or inject energy into your compositions with crisp leads.

The collection is also suited to audio/visual composers wishing to bring thought provoking electronica to their scores.

Produced by Adam Pietruszko (knobz.net), specialising in avant-garde cinematic sound design. Audio demo produced by Kanigu.

Be sure to check out the audio demo located in the multimedia player!

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