When I wrote this song, I had two simple goals - finish a song and learn how to use Sector. The first goal was something that I've been struggling with for a while. I've got lots of bits and pieces, some really good starts and some just awful pieces of experimentation. Some constituted me playing around with new apps while others were the result of hours of synth patch creation. This is all normal and good stuff, but for some reason, I just couldn't bring myself to finish anything. I've been dealing with a whole lot of overwhelm and responsibility in both my personal and work life, which seemed to consistently get in my way. SECTOR has been an intriguing possibility to me, but previously, I hadn't dug too deep into it. I love all of Jonatan Liljedahl's apps, so I was ready to make this my new favorite. It forced me to think about music creation in a different way though - I've really explored synthesis in the past, and the manipulation of audio loops hasn't been my main thing. My respect for Jonatan was larger than my fear of a new approach though; I just needed a focus to really learn what the app could do. My solution to both goals was to create a short and simple song - not my usual process, but a seemingly quick way to reach the finish line. I started with a basic and thin texture that seemed positive and full of light; it's a minor key, but there was a hidden bit of hope in the melody and backing track that I enjoyed. As I dug deeper into SECTOR, the ability to warp loops into something new and a bit more edgy really hit a chord with me. I kept extending the piece with a darker edge, constantly playing upon the glitchy potential of SECTOR, exploring the way that it could fit into my music. As I completed the piece, I felt good about the outcome - I accomplished both of my goals while exploring the balance between light and darkness within my own personal approach. I also feel inspired to keep creating, so be prepared for more . . . I created this song exclusively on my third generation iPad, using NanoStudio as my core DAW app. I also used a number of additional apps, including Sunrizer Synth, iSyn Poly, Thor, ThumbJam, SoundPrism Pro, Audio Mastering, AUFX:Dub, AUFX:Space, Turndao, WOW Filterbox, iSEM, Audiobus 2, and of course, SECTOR.
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