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Three is difficult. Not because it's unduly awkward, or even too easy, but because it messes
around with safe notions of genre to illicit music that feels tactile and occasionally
dangerous to the touch.
I don't like every track on here but the vast majority pull on strings that ignite a flush
of emotions, especially the more atmospheric numbers such as 656f6c6863 alongside the
industrial turmoil of You and Me, and neat contrasts served by the blissful tones of rollin'
feat. Ylva Falk.
The rugged end of funk is vigorously explored on the excellent Arrow of time Feat. B'licious
and there are plenty of likewise pieces of music on here to firmly compliment that notion.
Try, flashback Feat. Pleiadian sisters. Another reason to fully appreciate the spectrum of
music Moody Waters has created is the sheer process of creative ingenuity at play
throughout.
I met him posting in Lobster Theremin. Lately it has been heard a lot by Release Sustain.
It doesn't matter where Moody Waters publishes, his sound goes through the hairs in our ears
and in our heads it becomes palpable and visual.
Chameleon-like electronica that doesn't turn off organic arrangements ('656f6c6863'), much
less space and robotic environments ('Music'). A proposal that sometimes sounds distant, to
times past ('Blue Cars Go Away'), other times furiously current.
This is the case with 'Arrow of Time' where B'licious participates and where melodies, IDM,
vocals and synthetic beats come together without doing the slightest damage.
In fact it turns out so. The songs that we find in 'Three' have the ability to dispel bad
vibes to leave us calmly formatting in a relaxed zone, ideal if we light it up in purple.
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released on labels such as Release Sustain and Lobster Theremin already,
upcoming mysterious artist Moody Waters has eyes on imprinting his mark on the
electronic music scene through offerings of abstract, diverse sounds. Whether it's
drowsy leftfield beats, all-out ambient moments or chugging hypnotic rollers fit for
an Ibiza sunrise, the London-based producer isn't afraid to dip into a range of
musical directions.
Now, for the first time, Moody Waters has put together an album, giving himself
a chance to show off all of his talents through a lengthy self-released 14-track
project. We find out how he ticks in his home studio, and what plugins went into the
production of the debut album, Three, which you can check out below.
Hey, Moody Waters, we're loving Three. How did the album
transpire?
I've had the idea of recording an album for a long time now, and I really needed to get on
it. I had the opportunity to complete a few EPs in the past, but to keep myself motivated
creatively, I needed to work on something that featured more tracks and material than the
typical four-tracker.
Can you tell us about the role Dolby Atmos played in the production of the
album.
The company I work for, Spatial Mastering, is in the post-production industry and
specialises in the Dolby Atmos format. And, because I am absolutely positive that this
technology will progress the way in which we consume music, it was only natural for me to
include Dolby Atmos and NFTs as distinct formats for the album given that I had the facility
to do so. I think it brings depth and a new approach to artistically rearrange the way music
is presented and absorbed.
What's your latest plugin purchase?
That's a tough one! If my recollection serves me well, the Spectrasonics Omnisphere was the
most recent plugin I purchased. Because there are currently so many different options to
choose from, I make it my priority to use the fewest possible. It's got a lovely organic
tone. I have used it in the tracks that require an emphasis on organic sound. On the other
hand, I might easily utilise it too much on all of my tracks since it's so easy to
implement. I really like all of the capabilities that it provides, as well as the MIDI and
sound customisation options that it gives me. The preset library is fantastic, and each of
the presets is outstanding in its own right. Plus, very little processing is required. In my
perspective, Omnisphere was well valuable.
What's the best free plugin you own?
Without a shadow of a doubt, it has to be Voxengo's Span, since it's such a trustworthy
metering device. I make extensive use of i, and I love the visualiser and meter display.
What's the best value plugin you own?
That would have to be the Fabfilter Total bundle. I simply cannot go without it!
which is the most expensive plugin you've ever bought? Was it worth the
money?
Spectrasonics Omnisphere for its huge capabilities, and value for price.
What's a DAW stock plugin you use all the time?
The equalisers and compressors in Apple's Logic Pro X are some of my favourites. For rapid
solutions, I find these stock plugins the best. They mostly tend to be less processor-heavy
than the third party ones.
What plugins go on your master bus without fail?
I'm a big fan of all of Fabfilter's products, particularly MB, Pro-Q3 and the saturation
plugin. They're beasts at what they're designed to accomplish and I always include them in
the final track, brilliant units!
What plugin would your album, Three, be incomplete without?
I often work with Max MSP and I collaborated with a friend, Tony, to develop a plugin that
would cater to my production requirements. We're working on making it available to the
public and I think producers will be enthusiastic about it. It's a sample masher with
excellent features. With Max, there are a myriad of possibilities. I used a wide variety of
patches while making the album; without it, I would not have been able to make Three.
Music is a low-slung chugger. What's the synth used here?
I usually just grab a machine and try to use it to its full potential on a track. For the
majority of the sounds on Music, I used the Korg MicroKorg, but I also used the Roland
Jupiter-8 and Korg Polysix plugins.
Do you have any secret sauce plugins?
Between FabFilter and Max, in my opinion I am able to say without a doubt that my output
would be far lower if I did not have those.
What about a guilty pleasure plugin?
I enjoy Xfer Records OTT and LFO tools. They're incredibly convenient for addressing
specific difficulties that, if they did not exist, would take a lot of extra work to get
around.
What do you use without fully understanding?
The software that Slate & Ash has developed is fantastic. Both Cycles and Landforms are
truly formidable pieces of sound synthesis software. I love how unique and interesting their
user interfaces are, the presets offer a wide variety of options and, in my opinion, they're
designed to perform more functions than what is initially apparent.
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London label Lobster Theremin's latest compilation is in support of Hackney's Sistah Space.
The community initiative provides support for women and girls of African and Caribbean
heritage who've experienced or been affected by sexual and domestic abuse. They've been
fighting Hackney Council's order to move premises and to extend their current lease until
March next year.
For the fourth instalment in the PLUR compilation series—the first three in which arrived on
the inital Bandcamp no-fees Friday this past March—Lobster Theremin is donating 100 percent
of proceeds from LOBSTER PLUR Volume 4 to Sistah Space. Angel D'lite, DJ Luz, Moody Waters,
Elsa Hewitt, Slacker and more feature across the collection's 34 tracks. The LP was
officially released on the August 7th Bandcamp Friday.
Sign the petition to extend Sistah Space's lease here, and support the initiative directly
via GoFundMe. For up to the minute information on Sistah Space's fight with Hackney Council,
follow them on Twitter.