Thanks! I'll give'm a listen when I get home and have proper monitors.

All of these posts have helped me clarify in my own mind what I am looking for. It's not lead lines or single notes or individual pitches. It's not pads or even chords in a typical keyboard style. It's more like rhythm guitar. How can a synth be more like a rhythm guitar?

I think part of the problem is using a keyboard. It encourages a certain kind of play, and it's not obvious what kind of physical gesture would produce a nice KRAAANG regardless of the timbre of the patch.

I've come up with at least a point of departure. I'm going to program some patches that are tuned to a key, and different notes will have different harmonic structures...major, minor, 7th, etc. The patches will have a degree of inharmonic/metal quality to them. Then I'll control them using my old Kat drum pad which is velocity sensitive and has 8 different notes/pads.

I'm hoping this will feel a little like bashing on sheet metal and metal tanks which I used to do some years ago. I guessing the physicality of playing with mallets will be different than tapping at a keyboard, and will encourage aggressive dynamics and subtle timing shifts.

I'm not sure where I am going with this. It's been years since I've done music as such, and it's not like I need another set of projects. But if I come up with anything interesting I'll let y'all know and you can kick my ass if it sucks.

Freedom Bondage!

how about Cabaret Voltaire ca. 1978-83 or so.

PRIMAL SCREAM

at least on "XTRMNTR" and "EVIL HEAT". Kevin Shields destroys on the latter. It sounds like my fucking speakers are gonna explode even when its turned down. Im sold on this band.

I'm surprised Rammstein hasn't come up on this one yet. But perhaps I shouldn't be.

there's a synth heavy richmond band called vcr some of you might dig.

http://www.myspace.com/vcr

i don't dig 'em, but some of you might.

Six Finger Satellite (6thed)

Trans Am (3rded)

The Stranglers (2nded)

Rah Bras (hey, I came up with one on my own!)

Devo Manifesto on Tech TV ...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dM976wfDFWc

To those of you who posted links to your own mp3's, thanks again. I *think* I've sent you all PM's...I wasn't sure if public discussion would be appropriate, but there are obviously some talented people on this board!

In fact, I wonder if it would make sense to have a sticky thread for shameless-self-promotion. It would be very interesting to match names to sounds, and without such a thread some might be shy about posting links. Plus, such links are hard to find scattered about.

Just a thought from a relative newbie here...

Peripatetic wrote:
Rah Bras (hey, I came up with one on my own!)

also from richmond. hooray for my town.