Best Ideas for Post-Rock/Ambient

[B Yoels]

I am brand new to the forums and I wanted to know what is the best technique to get a good post rock or ambient drum beat out of the SP-555. I use Logic Pro, but I want to try new sample techniques and I would like to create a drum beat similar to Panda Bear and Emancipator (both quite different from the other). I also use guitar, ukulele and synths, but I cannot create a suitable beat, so any techniques or words of advice would be excellent!

[sakabilli]

whatsup dude, im really into post rock sampling as well. thing is, i sample post rock and make more lively beats with it. idk where you got panda bear from but thats not exactly what i see as post rock. i think youll have more luck in beat-influenced post rock. sample or write harmonies of your own into the sampler and built a drum beat with the pattern sequencer, thats my best advice. i use the 404 though, so im sure its a little different.

[B Yoels]

Yeah I guess Panda Bear wasn't the best example, but I kind of want to have a minimal post rock beat. I used to be in a post rock band in Houston and ever since I left I have been dying to start performing again, but with a more electric and simple style. I also like not being dependent upon anyone else too. I have been making drones pretty recently, but I would like to expand that into full post rock compositions. Do you have any recordings of your post rock samplings? I would really like to hear it.

[fauna]

i consider what i do more informed by post-rock than other genres, but i never sample from post-rock. this (to me) is like making hip hop by sampling from hip hop. i don't do it.

now, for beats: it depends on what kind of post-rock yr talking about (godspeed? explosions in the sky? notwist? slint?)

suggestions - consider getting jazz loops and slowing them down. also consider making kits that have no snares (using toms, tambourines, rimshots, etc.). also, consider building beats in 5/4 or 6/8.

good luck.

[B Yoels]

I am a HUGE Explosions fan. They are pretty much my inspiration to make music. I guess I want to do a minimal post rock yet experimental type project. I just started to use drones so I might incorporate drones throughout. I'll keep you guys posted on how it all goes.

[Unfolding]

^ Please do!

Also, if you write melodies and textures before beats then try adding kick drum hits where you want to accent a note so the rhythm locks into the melody. This works the other way as well- write your drums & then add notes to where you think they'd sound interesting in the rhythm. Rhythm's just as important as melody.

As Fauna suggested, don't stick to rigid ONE-two-three-four-One (kick-snare) drum patterns. Basically, try to think about rhythm from a bassist's or drummer's perspective & have the melody work around it. Chord structure, chord progressions & all that stuff guitarists get hooked on really gets in the way sometimes (apologies, but I'm a bass player who gave up on jamming with guitarists a long time ago).

@Fauna- too bad you're not keen on sampling post rock (I see your point though). It yields great samples for doing other non-standard types of music and sampling it doesn't necessarily the result will be a post-rock song. If it did, it'd mean that a lot of hip hop would be considered the same genre as soul/electro/funk etc.

[sakabilli]

yeah, i seem to be misunderstood. i love listening to the music, but nothing post rock comes out of my sampler. its just not my thing. instead id rather take the awesome sounds of it and use them as layers on top of something of a more experimental beat. maybe its just easier, idk haha

[fauna]

right ^^ on all points. b/c I try to make post-rockish stuff on my batch o' samplers, i just assumed that's what was being suggested by b yoels & sakabilli. my bad! and seriously: welcome to the forums! i hope you have a great time here.

@ unfolding machines: totally true on what p-r can offer. the track i made for the (maybe canceled?) upcoming sp beat tape sampled liberally from MTL post-rock stuff and its really the first time i've tried it. worked great

[sakabilli]

[fauna]

and on the real, i love talkin' post-rock, so let's keep the idears going!

[Sinapse]

yo this is a real interesting thread. I'm kinda ignorant bout this genre, and also bout much of what ya'll are discussing in here..but I like what I am hearing in terms of the post rock influenced music, Fauna you have some really ill sounding shit

As far as the unorthodox timed beats like 5/4, or 6/8...I spent some time last night listening to tracks that have that signature and while I could hear it and recognize the time signature was diff, it still didn't quite sink in as to how you would create it, what is the best way to get a handle on creating a 5/4 beat??

[sakabilli]

such a good question. i feel like getting a good rhythm in a regular 4 count or even 3/4 is so much easier than actually deconstructing the rhythm and deciding things like bass hits, drum rhythms, etc. it just doesnt flow to your head as easily i guess? but idk. experiment, experiment. best advice.

[fauna]

my only 'successes' writing in 5/4 are based around finding some goofy melodic snippets that i can stitch together to get something in 5, then lay beats on top.

i found it helped to grab things that have a bit of percussion in them, b/c you can plant that to build the beat. then yr own drums are either flourishes or just a k & s holding it together.

@ sinapse: thx mans.

[sakabilli]

wooord. yeah fauna, good stuff

[fauna]

here's something i was working on but never got around to finishing. this is in 5/4, done on the sp-505.

http://www.box.net/shared/ceevt02o8b

sort of an example of what i was talking about above.