Listen to Russell E.L. Butler’s Track “Sirens From a Distance”:
Today we listen to Russell E.L. Butler‘s Moog-inspired track “Sirens From a Distance“. The Bahamian-born, Oakland-based musician has just released his I’m Dropping Out Of Life EP via CGI Records this month. In addition, he will play Moogfest in Asheville, NC this coming May. Ahead of that performance, Moog Music’s Sonic Origins series caught up with Butler to discuss the musical influence of his Bahamian background, the importance of music in his life, as well as how it helped connect him to his own identity thru creative expression. The video, which you can watch below, provides a moving, behind-the-scenes portrait of Butler, as well as a glimpse of him working with Moog’s Mother-32 mono synth.
The track “Sirens From a Distance” was improvised using four of these semi-modular mono synths, a Make Noise 0-Coast, and other devices from Butler’s collection. It is formed around a doom-laden cluster of four notes that cycle throughout the cut. Meanwhile, a foggy kick drum and exhilarating array of rhythmic elements add an undeniable kinetic quality. Eventually, a tweaked-out arpeggio of metallic notes enters the composition, giving it an acidic bent, before the initial loop of four notes takes us to the finish as it gains an increasingly rusty sounding resonance.
Watch Russell E.L. Butler on Moog Music’s Sonic Origins:
Moog Music’s Sonic Origins series kicks off with a behind-the-scenes glimpse into Russell E.L. Butler‘s working method as he creates using the Mother-32 and other devices.
