After creating two ambient / IDM oriented albums exclusively on the Elektron Machinedrum, I wanted to find out if I could do the same with an analog drum machine. And after some false starts and trial and error, this album started coming to life on the Elektron Analog Rytm mk2. Written between December 2022 and February 2023, reverse|alchemy is drone, soundtrack and ambient in equal measures with some elements of IDM sprinkled on top. Beautiful yet haunting. Out there yet in your face. All live takes from the Rytm (and about 85% Rytm synthesis, the rest being samples).
As always, the album is priced at free / pay-what-you-want. All proceeds from the sales of this album will go to Luonnonperintösäätio (The Finnish Natural Heritage Foundation). Founded by the late Pentti Linkola in 1995, the foundation buys old forests that are in as natural a condition as possible and apply for permanent protection of the forests in accordance with the Nature Conservation Act. To read more, please visit luonnonperintosaatio.fi/en
I also cut a 17-minute edit of the album for Youtube. The visuals were created by the Finnish artist (and fellow Elektronaut) Timo Juntunen. Using an old Sony Vidicon tube camera and a CRT television for feedback and an LZX video synth for processing the signal, he managed to grasp the gist of what I wanted to say musically and translate it into captivating visual art.
Congratulations on the album Korpinen!
Really interesting and well designed sounds. I love those big powerful IDM kicks
I’ll be listening to the rest of the album in the next couple of days.
Well done indeed!
Oftentimes online the AR is not used to its full potential and can sound kinda stale and one-dimensional, to me at least. You managed to explore a wide range of sounds and made it sound like a MD while retaining its own character.
14 is my fav (13 second), could be on a Sigur Ros album and it’s nice to finish with a happy ending because the trip was dark and sometimes frightening (but lovely!)
Seems whatever I do I just can’t shake the Sigur Ros comparisons, ha! (Half-joking.)
Seriously tho, thanks everyone for listening!
I think the next thing I’m gonna do is go back to the MD. As much as I’ve enjoyed the past three months with the AR, the MD is my one true love as far as drum machines go.
That’s a me problem, I just don’t listen to enough stuffs to make a smart comparison. It’s just track 14 though!
There’s def a Korpinen touch that I love a lot: Your sudden super rich (sound wise and rhythm wise) burst of beats/drums/hi-hat/noise appearing and disappearing with sometimes a clock like mechanical nature to it. Track 4, 5 especially fit this category I’d say!
Like I said, half-kidding and definitely not a problem. Kinda lost touch with Sigur Ros after the Takk album but really loved them up until that point, so I understand it’ll be part of my musical DNA forever. Same goes for a handful of other bands that I listened to A LOT in my formative years.
A fairly shameless Bandcamp Friday bump on this. As always with my albums, 100% of the proceeds go to charity (see OP). Or just download it for free. Hope you like it!
Have had your album flagged for a few months and now managed to get to it. Truly amazing tracks. The mood, sound design, drum programming and mix are incredibly tastefully made. Really clicking with this - thanks for sharing here. One for the next bandcamp Friday!
OMG, I completely forgot to come back to this incredible Album (sorry). @korpinen, you are truly a Magician with those Elektron boxes (AR, MD). I agree with all that’s been said.
Purchased.
I’ll had that I love the Pace of your Music and the Stories between the Sounds and their interactions. Truly beautiful!
Kinda lost touch with Sigur Ros after the Takk album but really loved them up until that point, so I understand it’ll be part of my musical DNA forever. Same goes for a handful of other bands that I listened to A LOT in my formative years.
