The power of the minimal setup.
With an ever-increasing array of powerful, portable and affordable electronic instruments available, the temptation for producers is to go maximal with their sound. But as these videos—courtesy of Indonesian musician Fahmi Mursyid—prove, a seriously affective and versatile sound can be crafted from the most limited of means.
Largely working with Walkman tape loops, a few effects pedals and a few VCV digital modular patches, Mursyid creates oceanic movements of sound that belie their humble origins.
Restricting his frame to a few elements means that Mursyid has to get creative in his manipulation of sound. Experimenting with tone and process, he creates cassette loops with metal tubes, recalling the tape loop experiments of Brian Eno at a micro scale. By updating the UK ambient master’s formula, Mursyid amplifies the music’s eerie, intimate sense of space even further.
To get a sense of the power of the minimal setup, check out Mursyid’s videos above and below. You can hear all of Mursyid’s music via his Bandcamp here. And shout out to Create Digital Music for tipping us off to this great music.
Read more: This video shows you how to make drum sounds from reel-to-reel tape loops