There is a wide spectrum when it comes to workflow in music production. I have spoken previously about the different roles within the music producer umbrella and workflow comes into this. I will be speaking about a musician/producer who goes by “KMRU” in this blog post.
KMRU is a producer who creates experimental ambient spaces through the use of both synthesis and field recordings. KMRU has a unique workflow in the way in which he uses and incorporates these field recordings into his work. KMRU said in an interview that
“It began three years ago in Nairobi. I bought a field recorder to use as a soundcard but eventually started using it as a mic to record sounds on-site. I realised that there were sounds in my environment that I wasn’t aware of, and discovering that prompted me to engage more and use that discourse as a compositional tool. Eventually, I stopped buying sample packs and spent all my time outside recording sounds and taking them back to the studio.” (Future Music, 2021)
KMRU’s work process begins with these field recordings. He will explore the sounds of his environment using a zoom H6 field recorder and collect these on his computer. KMRU has said in an interview that oftentimes he won’t bring a recording device with him, instead, he will just sit and take in the sounds that surround him. He will often bring a sketchbook and draw what these sounds are to him. (KMRU, 2021)This level of immersion within his environment allows him to truly understand the intricacies of specific locations when it comes to what makes up their unique sound profile. KMRU began making music around his home in Kenya and eventually moved to Berlin. The extent to which his surroundings and the sounds within them influence his work is immense and when he moved to Berlin he said in an interview that the first thing he noticed about Berlin was just how different the sounds surrounding him were and that he was worried that his sound would change. (KMRU, 2021)
Once KMRU has obtained these recordings he augments them using digital equipment such as effect layers, synthesisers and time warping. He will often then run them through a Chase Bliss Mood pedal. Once he has augmented these recordings he will never go back to the original noise, only transform them further. It is clear when listening to KMRU’s music how much intent there is in terms of preserving the feeling of the location of the samples used to build the piece. When you listen to KMRU’s music, you can immerse yourself in these soundscapes. Through the spacing of these sounds within the stereo field he creates vibrant and expressive soundscapes.
Ableton (2021) KMRU: Spaces: KMRU explores environmental influences in Loop’s new documentary. see the places that have inspired him and grab a free selection of his field…: By Ableton, Facebook. Available at: https://www.facebook.com/ableton/videos/575642646860498/ (Accessed: 24 November 2023).
Music, F. (2021) KMRU: ‘I stopped buying sample packs and spent all my time outside recording sounds and taking them back to the studio’, MusicRadar. Available at: https://www.musicradar.com/news/kmru-interview (Accessed: 24 November 2023).