Premiere: Freddy Fresh – IMAN [EPMmusic]

IMAN is taken from Freddy Fresh ‘s S/T EP out 28 April on EPMmusic

Following the release of the analogue electronics of ‘ProMars’ on the EPM20 compilation which was remixed to stunning electro effect by CYRK last year for our 100th release, Freddy Fresh returns with his first full EP for EPM, the ‘IMAN EP’. Continuing in the same vein we see Freddy take in full throttle electro and shimmering live electronica across four tracks of analogue dexterity.

To say the Minneapolis born and based Freddy Fresh has history is a somewhat understatement. His first studio recording was released on Boogie Down Productions, with Fresh remixing a track for ‘The Man & His Music Dedication’ album for Scott La Rock & KRS- One, and he has since recorded for over 100 independent record labels, including major labels Sony UK, Virgin, BMG UK and Harthouse Germany and is also founder of the record labels Howlin’ Records, Electric Music Foundation, Analog, and Sockett.

Freddy Fresh is also a master and connoisseur of the analogue studio and has dedicated the better part of 35 years to exploring reel to reel tape recording devices, cassette 4 track recorders, and electronic devices after haphazardly finding himself one day in front of a bunch of unobtainable modular synthesizers. For a brief moment he was blessed with the good fortune of obtaining them for almost no money invested. He has been exploring sounds ever since.

Freddy Fresh – IMAN EP
Track Listing:

1. IMAN
2. After Thought
3. EMF Theme
4. Tattered (Space Traxx)

Here Freddy himself takes us through the makings of each of these modular marvels…

IMAN
IMAN used Ableton, BASTL and Softpop. I think the baseline was a Roland System 100 Module 101 Bass cabinet, Jupiter 8 and the usual suspects. It was very fast with Ableton and some programs I cannot recall, I made it as we needed a short bit of music for the EMF website. I then misplaced the Ableton file and to make matters worse I named it something that had nothing to do with it!

After Thought
Afterthought was done during the Paul Mix sessions when we made the Magic track and I was using a battery operated Korg Voice sampler chocked full of vintage 1970s electronic drum sounds as I’m a massive fan of those sounds like Macbeth synth etc.

EMF Theme
EMF Theme was done in a fog on my laptop and I have no clue what I used as I’m like that. In fact this track was lost and I knew that I really liked it and I had to (I’m afraid to say this here) go to the net and use the way back time machine website to find the now defunct EMF website in my laptop and use the mini jack to re-record it in analogue and boost the signals etc. as I really wanted to have that track back again. Almost lost forever.

Tattered (Space Traxx)
Tattered was one of those rare tracks that I felt could possibly be something special as I was making it. The green keyboard (Roland System 1) came to bed with me the week before while I made new patch sounds which I then used on this track, as you can see all was done basically live using TR-08 Aira TR8, Intellijel Metropolis Sequencer, Sonic Potions LXR, Electro Harmonix Space Drum and Crash Pad, Roland System 100 M and a Roland Jupiter 8. I have acquired the habit of doing most of my songs in this fashion live, often doing upward of 25 “takes” to get it the way I want, I continuously have to remind myself that it doesn’t have to be like this, we now have tracking technology, so often I do a bit live and the rest is recorded into Ableton so I can take the tunes into a warm environment (warm as in has heat, as my studio has little and Minnesota winters are harsh). In other words, sometimes I just run around muting things live and in real time and then record the finished product and tweak it in Ableton. The robot voices were the Flame Talkbox which I sold only to then buy the Synthesis Technology E950 Eurorack module that speaks, the squirmy sounds are the SY 1 syncussion which is one of the most fabulous synths / drum machines to ever grace mankind, taken from the original Pearl Syncussion specs. It has to be seen in action to generally be appreciated!

Listen to IMAN on Techno Trip 52 ConnectFM Tracks of the Week here

Stay tuned at Techno Trip Tracks of the Week selection and Listen to Freddy Fresh’s new music first

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