Ambient/Post-Rock/Textural bass playing thread

[monsterthompson]

A couple dings for me for the SSL 12 before deciding on it were the lack of an external wall power option (though I can and probably eventually will run it off a powered USB C hub just to ensure there aren't any issues while recording with BUS power) and having the controls on the top (so no stacking anything on top of it or using it in a rack, plus higher potential for spill damage- I did buy a hard cover for it for extra safety)

Funny. I kinda like the top mounted controls. Particularly because they are angled, unlike the Audient. I’m mildly curious about the use of Inserts like the Audient has, but I’m not sure it’s worth the price tag plus I’d sacrifice MIDI. However, I could try running an aggregate device with my existing Komplete Audio 6 and use midi from that.

 

[hieronymous]

It's been good to hear the discussion of audio interfaces - I don't currently have one, my old go-to was an M-Box 2 Pro with FireWire 400 into ProTools. Now I record stuff into either my Zoom H6 or (less often nowadays) my 1010music Bluebox, then manipulate in Reaper. So I'm no help!

In other news, I have a gig! It's tomorrow night, though I've known about it since Friday. As you may know, in addition to being a bassist I am a Buddhist minister in California. My sect is fairly open to innovation, and there is a minister in Japan who has been setting the traditional chants and songs to "techno music" (I'm not sure how technical the term techno is being used). This is one of my favorite bits from when they did it in 2024:



I met him then and know the people sponsoring the "tour" so when he did it a few days ago at our national conference, I asked if I could play and he's into it, so I'll be playing tomorrow night! He sent me all the files for the show on this tour (different than what's in the video) so I played along last night, getting ready to play through again with the rig I've been using recently (on headphones). In addition to being a bassist and a Buddhist priest I am also a procrastinator, hence this post!

If you have time, would love to hear from anyone who can speak to the "techno" aspect. I think he has a range of stuff (including the to-me-ambient bit that I posted) but some people would come up to me saying "I'm not really into techno" but beggars can't be choosers - how often is there Buddhist Electronic Music?!!

Myself, I didn't really listen to "electronic music" until the 2000s, and then it was either German 1970s stuff or "classical electronic." Closest I got was '80s-'90s hip-hop lol. I remember being asked to "dj" a grad school party around '92 and playing hip-hop stuff and a grad student (I was undergrad so she was older than me and much more into dancing) got mad at me and kept insisting on playing house music though the grad students who knew me kept encouraging me to play what I wanted to play.

Apologies for the drift from "ambient/electronic bass" or whatever this thread is, but I appreciate the memories and the inspiration - time to set up and play!

 

[monsterthompson]

 

[monsterthompson]

Boredbrain dropping a beast of a mixer, expanding the eurorack one to a standalone.
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[hieronymous]

Gig Report: the gig went well - I felt like I prepared as much as was reasonable given the circumstances. I was playing along with pre-recorded tracks, which Asakura sensei was kind enough to give me access to beforehand. As far as this thread goes, it was fun to play along with electronic music – I used my MXR Bass Octave Deluxe on one song, it’s fine for what I want to do, which is fat synth-like bottom with some definition. I also used my Hipshot Xtender tuned to low D for two songs – in a way, that felt as electronic as anything. I wish I could play on the next two shows but they’re too far away and I’m too busy. Great experience though, maybe it’ll lead to something in the future.

Here’s a pic of my setup – you can see the “altar” area in the top right and a cool Japanese screen behind me. The images being projected were part of the event.

One thing I realize in hindsight – I was standing right a little to the right of the coiled cable which is right in front of my amp so it was too loud for me - in hindsight I couldn’t judge at all how it might sound in front. I need to remember not to do that in the future.

 

[hieronymous]

There is going to be a documentary about Sun Ra called "Do the Impossible" premiering on PBS tonight (2/20/26):

Sun Ra: Do The Impossible - About the Documentary | American Masters | PBS

 

[monsterthompson]

Glad to have my OTO Bebe mixer but this looks like a great mixer and probably hard to beat despite the pink paint of the OTO. Curious how the Boredbrain will stack up in terms of features and cost. Assuming more features and a bigger price tag based on their euro rack mixer.
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[Spectrum]

Glad to have my OTO Bebe mixer but this looks like a great mixer and probably hard to beat despite the pink paint of the OTO. Curious how the Boredbrain will stack up in terms of features and cost. Assuming more features and a bigger price tag based on their euro rack mixer.
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$750!

Guess I'll stick with my janky setup for now.

 

[monsterthompson]

$750!

Guess I'll stick with my janky setup for now.

Yeah. It’s pricey for a mixer. I dropped a similar amount for my OTO and it doesn’t have the same utilities. It does have a nice distortion, compressor, and EQ and is stupidly simple for fast adjustments. I kinda want to try multitracking a mix through it but I need more outputs from my interface, which I might upgrade soon.

This could get me to trade it in for a swap since it does some of what I wish the OTO did. I’m still holding out for the Boredbrain details and demos.

 

[monsterthompson]

Neo Crackssical Dark Ambient Black Metal
If The Room was an album, and Muppets were church burning Norwegians. I’m almost sorry for sharing this, but if anyone on TB is going to push play on this, they are definitely watching this thread
Never doubt yourself, people. Produce that track. Live your dream. Read the comments.

 

[Spectrum]

Neo Crackssical Dark Ambient Black Metal
If The Room was an album, and Muppets were church burning Norwegians. I’m almost sorry for sharing this, but if anyone on TB is going to push play on this, they are definitely watching this thread
Never doubt yourself, people. Produce that track. Live your dream. Read the comments.

The comments are what I love about the Internet.

 

[monsterthompson]

I found myself 20+ minutes into it thinking I couldn’t possibly give it more than 2 minutes when I started. It’s The Shaggs of metal, for sure.

 

[Bob_Ross]

It’s The Shaggs of metal, for sure.

Well now I’m DEFINITELY gonna give it a listen!

 

[sunbeast]

Neo Crackssical Dark Ambient Black Metal
If The Room was an album, and Muppets were church burning Norwegians. I’m almost sorry for sharing this, but if anyone on TB is going to push play on this, they are definitely watching this thread
Never doubt yourself, people. Produce that track. Live your dream. Read the comments.

It basically sounds like a “shreds” video

 

[monsterthompson]

It basically sounds like a “shreds” video

Like this?

or

 

[Passinwind]

There is going to be a documentary about Sun Ra called "Do the Impossible" premiering on PBS tonight (2/20/26):

Sun Ra: Do The Impossible - About the Documentary | American Masters | PBS

Thanks for the heads up, I caught the last hour and loved it. Seeing the Arkestra in NYC in the mid seventies still stands out as one of the greatest shows I have ever attended.

 

[sunbeast]

Like this?

or

Haha- no, more like these goofy spoof dub vids that came out in earlier and more innocent days of Youtube (I still think they are hilarious, which probably says alot about my sense of humor):





But Vorak also kinda reminds me of a metal-ish band I played in when I was 19-20- we all got kinda bored with what we were doing and had a local noise musician join that I think kinda intentionally blew the band up as we devolved into a pseudo noise band with double-bass+ blast-beats on drums and some chuggy guitars mixed with a whole lot of layers of incomprehensible on top

 

[monsterthompson]

Haha- no, more like these goofy spoof dub vids that came out in earlier and more innocent days of Youtube (I still think they are hilarious, which probably says alot about my sense of humor):

Brilliant

 

[sunbeast]

Brilliant

I mean come on, AI could never:

 

[droningearth]

older recording, not exactly ambient/postrock but bass big muff/grand canyon together.