This is a chill, improvisational, synth-forward track. What struck me was the way it incorporates atmospheric pads, occasionally slightly distorted / overdriven (which I love), in a way that is extremely dynamic. They’ll soar briefly before falling back, and they bob and groove with the beat. It happens all over; it’s quite noticeable between 5:20 – 5:33.
Generally, I’ll incorporate pads in my music either as background chord (with minimal variation in amplitude), or I’ll add classic (but perhaps overdone) side-chain compression based on a 4-on-the-floor kick to give some rhythmic groove . . . this track does something very different. I honestly can’t tell how this track achieves the changes in volume for the pads; my best guess is a combination of manual adjustments and side-chain compression (possibly with a muted audio source controlling the compressor).
So: I’m leaving this as a tidbit / technique / challenge to myself, to see if I can incorporate ambient pad sounds in a more interesting and dynamic way than my two aforementioned go-to methods.
Delightful tidbit: while I was looking into the artist Sebastian Mullaert, I learned that he was a part of an electronic duo, Minilogue. Not to be confused with the synth of the same name, the duo created their name as “a blend of minimal (the musical style) and dialogue, which refers to music as a form of communication.” (From Wikipedia)
Brilliant. Into it.