I really enjoy the sound of drums and low-pitched tones because they feel closer to a heartbeat. Throughout this project, I spent a lot of time searching for different low-pitched sounds to combine with each other. Initially, it was quite difficult to find the right combination because many of the sounds were too similar. To add more variation, I applied heavy distortion effects (using krush and squiz) to most of them. This helped create distinct textures and added more character to the overall composition.

I started the project using a Tidal file and then tried to connect the sound with Hydra. Since many of the music blocks were built from various rhythms, it was quite difficult to represent them visually in Hydra. One solution I came up with was to make each sound trigger a different visual change in Hydra. I especially enjoyed experimenting with basic shapes and movements, and I tried out different ways to make those shapes move in response to the sound.

It was quite challenging to bring everything together into a cohesive composition because I wasn’t sure how to create a strong drop. I ended up starting with a verse, which repeats a few times throughout the piece, then gradually layered in different drums and bass sounds to build the chorus. To create a bridge, I used a variation of the verse, which helped lead into the buildup and eventually the drop. I finished the piece by working backwards, transitioning from the drop back into the chorus, and ending with a softer, more minimal sound to bring the composition to a close.

Hydra code:

noise(20)
  .pixelate(50, 50) //()=>ccActual[4]
  .blend(
    osc(10, 0.001, 1)
      .hue(() => cc[4])
  ).blend(solid(), 0.5) //()=>cc[3]
  .out(o1)

gradient([1,2,4])
  .mult(osc(40, 0, 1).color(()=>cc[1]*2, ()=>cc[1], 1))
  .modulate(noise(()=>cc[1] + cc[0]*3))
  .brightness(0.4)
  .mask(shape(3, 0.2, 0.1).rotate(()=>cc[0]).scrollY(-0.25)) //()=>cc[2]/3
  .modulate(voronoi(25, 2, 0.5), 0.1)
  .add(
    shape(3, 0.2, 0.1) //()=>cc[2]/3
      .rotate(()=>(-(1-cc[0])))
      .color(()=>cc[1], ()=>cc[1], ()=>cc[1])
      .scrollY(0.25)
      .modulate(voronoi(25, 2, 0.5), 0.1)
  )
  .luma(0.05)
  .out(o0)

src(o1).layer(src(o2)).out(o0)

TidalCycle Code:

d1 $ slow 4 $ note "c3*4 d4*4 a3*8 g3*4" # s "superhammond:5" # legato 0.5
d4 $ ccv "[50 120] [50 120] [100 80 60 40] [50 120]" # ccn "0" # s "midi"

do
  d5 $ s "clubkick*4" # gain 0.8 # legato 1 # speed (slow 4 $ range 0.5 1 saw)
  d6 $ ccv "80 20 50 120" # ccn "1" # s "midi"

do
  d4 $ note "c3*2 d4*2 a3*4 g3*2" # s "arpy" # room 0.95 # gain 0.8 # speed "1.5 1"
  d3 $ ccv "80 40 [100 40] 120" # ccn "0" # s "midi"

do
  d1 $ s "~ cp" # gain 1.2 # room 0.5
  d4 $ s "<coins(3,8) hh(5,8,1)>" # room 1.2 # speed "2 1" # gain 1.3 # squiz 1.1 # up "-2"
  d3 $ struct "<t(3,8) t(5,8,1)>" $ ccv ((segment 128 (range 127 0 saw))) # ccn "0" # s "midi"

do
  d1 $ s "[glitch*4(3,8)]" # n (run 5) # vowel "a e i o" # room 0.45 # speed (slow 4 ("<2.5 1>")) # gain 1.2
  d6 $ ccv "[50 ~ ~ 120 ~ ~ 70 ~](3,8)" # ccn "0" # s "midi"
  d4 $ s "[sd <sd cp> ~ cp, hh*8]" # room 0.45 # speed (slow 4 ("<2.5 1>"))
  d7 $ ccv "50 <100 70> ~ 40" # ccn "1" # s "midi"

--verse 2 ADD cc[2] in hydra
do
  d1 $ degradeBy 0.4 $ s "808bd:1*8" # legato 1 # speed "1.5 1" # room 0.75
  d3 $ slow 4 $ note "c3*4 d4*4 a3*8 g3*4" # s "superhammond:5" # legato 0.5 # gain 1.1
  d4 $ ccv "[100 50] [100 50] [100 80 60 40] [100 50]" # ccn "2" # s "midi"
  d7 $ struct "t*8" $ ccv ((segment 128 (range 127 0 saw))) # ccn "0" # s "midi"
  d6 $ ccv "120" # ccn "1" # s "midi"

built_up = do {
  d3 $ qtrigger $ filterWhen (>=0) $ seqP [
  (0,1, s "[drum:5*4, hh*8]" # room 0.55),
  (1,2, s "[drum:5*4, hh*8]" # room 0.65),
  (2,3, s "[drum:5*4, hh*8]" # room 0.75),
  (3,4, s "[drum:5*4, hh*8]" # room 0.85),
  (4,5, s "[drum:5*4, hh*8]" # room 0.95)
] # speed (slow 5 (range 2 3 saw)) # gain (slow 5 (range 0.5 1.5 saw));
  d4 $ qtrigger $ filterWhen (>=0) $ seqP [
  (0, 5, struct "[t*50]" $ ccv (range 127 0 $ slow 5 saw) # ccn "3" # s "midi")
  ]
}

-- change hydra to cc[3]
built_up

bass = (stack[s "clubkick:5(3,8)", s "bassdm:22(3,8)"] # room 0.95 # speed ("<1 1.5>") # gain 1.2 # squiz 2 # up "-2" # krush 10)

do
  d2 $ bass
  d3 $ s "<bassdm:22(5,8) drumtraks:2(3,8,1)>" # room 0.95 # speed (slow 4 ("<1 1.5>")) # gain 1.1 # squiz 1.1
  d1 $ slow 4 $ note "c3*4 d4*4 a3*8 g3*4" # s "arpy:5" # legato 0.5 # gain 1.2
  d5 $ struct "<t(3,8) t(5,8,1)>" $ ccv ((segment 128 (range 127 20 saw))) # ccn "4" # s "midi"
  d4 $ ccv "[100 50] [100 50] [100 80 60 40] [100 50]" # ccn "2" # s "midi"

do
  d1 $ s "[<drumtraks:6(3,8)>, hh(5,8,1)]" # room 0.95 # krush 4 # speed (slow 4 ("<2 2.5>")) # up "-2"
  d2 $ s "stomp:5*4" # room 0.55 # krush 5 # speed (slow 4 "<2 1 1.5 2>")
  d3 $ struct "<t(3,8)>" $ ccv ((segment 128 (range 127 0 saw))) # ccn "2" # s "midi"
  d4 $ ccv "0 20 100 70" # ccn "0" # s "midi"

do
  d1 silence
  d5 $ s "clubkick*4" # gain 0.8 # legato 1 # speed (slow 4 $ range 0.5 1 saw)
  d6 $ ccv "80 20 50 120" # ccn "1" # s "midi"

do
  d4 $ note "c3*2 d4*2 a3*4 g3*2" # s "arpy" # room 0.95 # gain 0.8 # speed "1.5 1"
  d3 $ ccv "80 40 [100 40] 120" # ccn "4" # s "midi"

hush
d1 silence
d2 silence
d3 silence
d4 silence

Demo

Sorry, I can not get the embedding to work. Here is the link.